Naming the Flame
by Trei
Summary: 2-16-04: Extreme renovations going on - check back soon!
1. Jacuzzi: Candle's Intro

Naming the Flame

Trei

Summary: Ryou is caught in his father's Jacuzzi with more than just bubbles. In fact, that something more is a *someone* with bizarre violet eyes. Now Ryou has about five minutes to explain himself before his father tries to impale Malik with a plunger. Yaoi.

Chapter One

Most men write cars, television sets and large boats at the top of their "most treasured" list. Ryou Bakura's father, however, was in love with a bathtub. A Jacuzzi, to be more specific. But, as the middle-aged archaeologist would argue, it was a very _manly_ Jacuzzi. And one similar to the one he had met Ryou's mother in. But, of course, Ryou never pushed his father to elaborate on that specific detail.

The Jacuzzi even had a name engraved on the side. Not its brand (which was Kohler), but a real custom-engraved _name_. Ryou feared for his father's life whenever he brought back an ancient artifact from Egypt, always expecting a flair-haired psycho to come out like some twisted genie in a lamp. He'd had quite enough of that when he'd received his Sennen Ring (1), so graciously presented to him by his Jacuzzi-obsessive parent. But when he'd discovered the Jacuzzi Room while doing laundry, well, Ryou started worrying about his father's rational stability as well.

Not that any of this was actually breaking through to Ryou's psyche at the moment. To be truthful, not even Italian opera sung by a dying rooster could have been strong enough to penetrate the haze. To an outsider, one would think the boy himself was dying he was groaning so loud. But in all fairness, that really wasn't Ryou's fault.

If one were to place blame, one would look to the half-drenched blond tangled in his arms, masterfully casting lips and tongue to work that was driving Ryou to the precipice of his sanity. The only source of light was a feathery wisp of flame from a vanilla-scented candle near the doorway. If another outsider were to ask, the candle would have replied that never in its waxy life had it observed something so decadent. Its former owner, Isis Ishtar, _never_ had such beautiful boys in _her_ bathtub. In fact, the woman didn't even have a boyfriend, don't you know. And she never put a scrap of mousse to that flat hair, either….

In a futile and halfhearted attempt to search out reality, Ryou snagged desperate hold of Malik's neck, dragging the already heated kiss to feverish temperatures. This, however, only served to fuel the loss of reality rather than add to it. Not that either was too concerned, mind. No, they were content to lie in that frothing, tempestuous water while absentmindedly hurling logic and reality off the precipice of Ryou's sanity.

Malik was never one to go halfway with anything and lost the freedom of his hands to Ryou's ethereally diamond-encrusted hair, moaning with content into the softened lips his were crushed against. He felt Ryou's ankle digging into his back, but in the long run, he decided he could suffer a few bruises. Especially with bath times like this one. World domination could screw off with the opinionated candle for all he cared. This Jacuzzi was the only thing worth dominating right now.

Ryou wondered absently in the tiny crumb-sized corner of his mind that still held conscious thought what time it was. His father, by a horrible twist of fortune, was home for a bit of the summer holidays. ("Egypt is hot enough without me burning what's left of my hair out under that sun…. I'd much rather spend the vacation with _my _son," was how he'd jokingly put it.) As far as Ryou cared to remember, his father had left this morning around ten, promising to be home before dinner. Well, it was past dinner…. Or rather, it was past _Ryou's _dinner with Malik. Or rather still…dinner _of_ Malik.

A deceptively graceful hand wove trembling fingers through Ryou's, squeezing until their palms ached from the strain. Again, neither was bothered too greatly at present, seeing as how neither could feel anything but the other, see nothing but the other and want nothing but the other. The candle would have a field day of gossip when it got back to Isis' bathroom. Cocky faucet had _insisted_ that Isis' younger brother was as heterosexual as Bruce Willis, but ohhh no. Here was flat evidence that that drooling faucet was lying through its tap.

The couple were connected and flushed in every place imaginable. Yes - even there, you gutterdwellers. Ryou's breath came out in a gasp as Malik pulled up for air, soaking in vanilla-saturated mist that merely helped along the red fire in both pairs of eyes. And while Ryou struggled to breathe correctly, Malik leaned in and feathered an affectionate kiss against the blazing plane of his koi's forehead. Ryou interrupted a gasp in order to smile dotingly before dropping his head back onto the lip of the Jacuzzi, sucking air through passion-reddened lips.

Malik chuckled and nuzzled the exposed ivory throat, catching the sensitive skin between the younger boy's neck and shoulder impishly. As expected, Ryou's body shuddered and the boy involuntarily squeezed his arms around Malik's slick back with a sultry moan. "You - couldn't - let me…" Ryou's breath sharpened as the torturous mouth plagued his neck. "Catch my - breath?"

Dipping his head to the side, Malik responded by biting down on the formerly visited vulnerable spot with fervor. Ryou cried out and forgot how exactly coherent speech was performed. His nails gripped for purchase at Malik's shoulder blades, absently sliding his supple fingertips over the taboo marks engraved there. If he'd known of the short surge of panic that caused for Malik, he would have apologized, but as it was, Ryou could barely string a rudimentary thought together let alone a whole spoken word.

"No," said the Egyptian teasingly, possessively reclaiming Ryou's lips. The other boy was only too glad to respond, his lids dropping listlessly over dreamy molten chocolate gems. "And - I don't think - you mind," Malik added breathlessly, caressing Ryou's forehead with tenderness he usually reserved only for his motorcycle (which he hadn't been barking mad enough to name, thank you very much).

Annoyed with banter, Ryou impatiently put Malik back in his place, which was presently kissing the hell out of his koi. The Egyptian countered Ryou's haste with excruciatingly slow motions that drove the very soul from Ryou's poor worn throat. Malik distracted the younger boy by slipping his tongue through Ryou's badly defended lips and ravished his koi's lurid mouth, subtly taking a hand from the willowy locks.

A moment later, the elegant wrists locked around Malik's neck jerked the older teen into a roasting kiss that very nearly blistered the Egyptian's sun-gingered lips. Ryou's groans were no longer the sole source of noise coming from the torrid embrace. The candle's flame flickered pryingly at their gasps and ravenous moans. Heterosexual indeed.

Subsequent minutes followed a similar pattern until both drenched teenagers came down from their reckless high and nuzzled close in a warm, tender cuddle. Malik dunked his head back into the calming water, glad that Ryou had turned down the idea of using the Jacuzzi's rather strong jets. His face freed of glistening, sopping wet blond, Malik surfaced and drew in a voracious breath. Then he pulled Ryou's svelte figure to his chest and spent the next ten minutes bedecking the younger teen's throat with lazy open-mouthed kisses. Ryou replied with contentment, holding their entangled hands against his lips while he leaned his head against Malik's shoulder and submitted himself entirely to the Egyptian's will.

It touched Malik to sense how genuinely Ryou trusted him. No one else would abandon their defenses so easily in Malik's arms. Ryou was the only one who had never in his life feared the Egyptian (2). Perhaps that was the reason they had lasted so long as the starry-eyed couple so many of Ryou's family and friends would scorn if they knew.

But that was the beauty of treachery. No one _did_ know.

Ryou softened the tense muscles in Malik's hand with deliberate strokes of his thumb, absently snuggling his face deeper into the crook of the Egyptian's shoulder. Trust was in the younger boy's very breathing, gentle showers of cool air that had helped bring Malik back from the deranged madman his tormented childhood had twisted him into. His Ryou. His tenshi (3). His koi.

It was after one particularly prolonged throat-kiss that Ryou said, "I think I'd better call my father."

Well, if there was any other way to make Malik Ishtar yelp, it probably wasn't as effective as Ryou's. "You mean leave me all alone?" he asked, marinating his voice in a reasonably deep puddle of hurt.

Ryou turned his head and caught Malik's lips in a softened, promising kiss. Then, in a voice richer and smoother than melted butter, he whispered, "You'd rather I stay here until I freeze to death?"

A moment's hesitation, then, "You wouldn't have to freeze." And he emphasized this implication with a kiss that stole not only Ryou's breath but his memory as well.

What was it he was going to do?

"Oh, Malik…."

Oh, well. It probably wasn't important anyway.

Moments of impassioned desire passed like melted water streaking impetuously down the slope of an icicle. It wasn't until they were so close it hurt that the kiss became cause for worry. Ryou knotted his hands in Malik's hair and moaned loudly into Egyptian lips with reckless abandon. His body, so heated by Malik's, began to tremble under the slightest touch, which included Malik's nimble fingers holding his hips steady.

One of them cried out, though who was unclear through the blankets of passionate vapor.

Malik's lips were fixed on Ryou's as he drove the slender body to a low platform, trapping the smaller boy easily. Positioning a knee on either side of Ryou's hips, Malik hovered over his koi and with a heartfelt smile, descended on Ryou's mouth again.

"Love you," he gasped sharply.

Ryou smoothed a hand through the sunkissed locks amorously in reply, telling Malik in actions what he currently could not with words. Sometimes words were better expressed when nothing was said at all.

Seconds later, Malik was entirely and willingly enmeshed in Ryou's arms, bewitching his sweeter koi's lips with sinful lust. Daunted by the emotion flowing between them, Ryou reached up an urgent hand and clutched Malik's slick arm weakly. Every string of energy in him was being utilized by his lips, still thrashing against Malik's in a battle he was all too enthusiastic to lose. Still, the rate of their actions was making him nervous and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop if it went on for much longer.

Malik felt the urgency of Ryou's kiss, but at the same time sensed his koi's reluctance to take that next step. So, lowering the passion of their exploits, the Egyptian slowly pulled away from Ryou, still holding the smaller boy like a jeweled treasure. "Only - when you're - ready," he gasped softly, kissing Ryou's feverish forehead gently. Then, winking cheekily, he said, "But - when that time comes…you'll have to - convince me it's worth it."

Blushing vividly and panting as if wounded, Ryou smiled shyly and leaned the side of his face on Malik's collarbone, breathing in the Egyptian's exotic scent. "Thank you," he whispered gratefully.

Malik softened his palm over Ryou's face tenderly. "Anything for you, tenshi."

Then Malik loosened his hold on Ryou and let the younger boy nestle comfortably against him. After the formerly turbulent water surrounding them had pacified and contented itself with gently lapping against the wistful pair, Malik took to running a hand through Ryou's feathery hair, nuzzling his face close to the natural perfume of jasmine and cherries.

Then there was a creak on the stairs above the Jacuzzi Room.

Oh. _That's_ what Ryou had wanted to do before.

Malik noticed the sudden loss of color in Ryou's face and struck an expression of inquiry. He hadn't heard anything. But he heard the next noise easily.

The door opened with an audible "snap" and Mr. Gave-My-Son-a-Gold-Thing-With-Mental-Psyche-Issues appeared in the door, looking slightly bemused. Then his eyes fell on the Jacuzzi. _His_ Jacuzzi. And then his son. And the startled Egyptian on _top_ of his son.

Ryou immediately withdrew his arms from around Malik's neck and tried to speak. "Father…." But what else could he say? "Hey, Pops, this is Malik. A few months ago he was trying to take over the world, but he's relatively safe now. Er, just don't give him sharp objects and anything with caffeine and he won't attack you right away."

Unfortunately, Malik was also fond of imagining humorous situations. And the problem with _that_ was he also liked to act them out as well. "So, this is your father, Ryou?" he asked with a smirk. "I've been wondering…. Does he use this oversized bathtub to its potential?"

Ryou's father turned white, then green, then red and then a rather amusing shade of purple. "You…" he choked out. "Who are you!? What are you doing here!?"

Malik smiled sardonically and before Ryou could reach out to cover his koi's overactive mouth, said lazily, "Why don't you ask your son?"

Ryou eyed the water, measuring it carefully. He wondered how long it would take for him to drown under there. But no. His father wouldn't let him get out of a more mortifying death so easily.

"Ryou," Malik whispered into his koi's ear amusedly, "your father looks ready to spear something."

__

Or someone, Ryou thought with a twinge of alarm as his father suddenly grabbed an idle plunger from beside the toilet and swung it headlong at Malik's head. Ryou could have sworn he saw the candle laughing at them as Malik ducked the blow. A shame his father hadn't decided to throw _that _at them…

Well, it wasn't the traditional "Hey, Dad, I'm gay," Christmas dinner fiasco he had imagined, but hey, it was something at least.

To be Continued…

1. Sennen Ring: another name for the Millennium Ring. Most frequently used in Egypt.

2. I'm of the opinion Ryou's braver than most give him credit for. And Isis and Rishid have probably at one time or another been a little nervous at their brother's lunatic performances. Hell, even Yami has to get scared sometimes. Fortunately, Ryou's got the license to be perfect in this chapter.

3. Tenshi (angel)


	2. The Dragon and the Pegasus

Naming the Flame

Chapter Two

Warning: Longer chapter than usual. And because it's so popular, the candle will be returning. *Grin* This is how it'll work: whenever there's a yaoi-ish scene, I'll have a **Candle Warning**. And the candle will do its snarky comments. Hehe. Enjoy!

The first time Ryou ran away from home, he was six. It had been his preferred choice of mourning for his sister Amene, who had, in his father's definition, "gone to join the choir of Heaven" (1). While his father drove to the hospital to identify the body, Ryou left a recording of his own whimpering sobs playing under the rumpled blankets of his bed and hid in the park for five hours until the police found him and brought him home.

By the time he was sixteen, Ryou had run away without the intention of returning a grand total of thirty times, a record that would have made most American rebels jealous. To ask what he ran from would be enormously useless, for the reasons he harbored were no more sensible than the idea of using rudimentary graphics on a sophisticated game system (2). He claimed to run from himself and who he feared of becoming, but in truth, he only really wanted attention. His father was rarely around long enough to notice any of his son's accomplishments and when he was, his praise wasn't enough for a boy who from the age of seven habitually took care of himself.

On August seventh, however, Ryou's reason for running away was a smidgen more practical. Since he rather enjoyed having his boyfriend alive and privy to all his major limbs, Ryou snuck the Egyptian out of the basement hatch while his father was upstairs calling the police. When Malik was gone and ultimately safe for the time being, Ryou endured a considerably mortifying sermon from his preposterously homophobic father and planned his thirty-first escape from home.

"Do you know what happens when teenagers…" Ryou's father trailed off, cringing visibly at the words he refused to say.

"Have sex?" Ryou ventured curiously.

His father blanched. "Where did you learn that word?!"

Ryou wished he'd had that plunger right about now.

At length, the teen's father ran out of fire with which to scorch his apathetic son and sent the teenager to his bedroom to think about the distress he had brought upon his _poor elderly father _(the candle's whisper of flame would have tossed in amusement if it were present - the man was barely forty-five!).

"I'm too tired to deal with this tonight," the middle-aged (and not elderly whatsoever, the candle might have added) man sighed, rubbing his temples.

Ryou winced, feeling guilt starting to spear through his impassive front. At the age of eleven, he'd developed a theory that if he stifled his susceptible emotions, he didn't have to feel pain when he was attacked. But apparently, his father didn't apply to his son's problem free philosophy. _Well, hakuna matata to you, too_, thought Ryou glumly.

His father gestured vaguely toward the stairs, training his eyes doggedly on the tumultuous water of the Jacuzzi. "We'll talk about this in the morning. Just…. Just go to your room. Please."

Feeling a bit guiltier than was healthy for his perpetually jovial outlook on life, Ryou exited the Jacuzzi Room to the sound of his father beseeching God to cure his son's bizarre behavior. _Little chance of that_, Ryou thought dryly. _Look who I choose to date_.

When he reached his bedroom at the far reaches of the hallway, Ryou flicked the light switch beside his door gingerly and crawled into bed. By now he felt guilty for not feeling guilty about the near stroke he'd given his father. And guilty for nearly getting Malik's head removed from its comfortable home on the Egyptian's neck. And guilty for testing his own sanity by holding a grudge against a candle. But he could have _sworn_ the thing was mocking him downstairs. …Maybe he could break it when his father went to sleep….

A rumbling hum crammed the hollow wall beside Ryou's bed and the teen realized exasperatedly that the Jacuzzi was now being sanitized. "Oh, honestly," he grumbled. "It's not like he'll catch my sexuality if he doesn't decontaminate the stupid thing."

Sitting on the flank of his bed, Ryou studied the window longingly. Not even two hours had gone by and already he missed Malik's presence near him. Idly, he reviewed his father's orders in a thoughtful tone. "Talk in the morning…go to my room…." Slowly, as a happy loophole surfaced, Ryou smiled. "He didn't say anything about _staying_ in my room," he mused with feigned innocence.

Deciding that since his father hadn't _technically_ told him he was grounded, Ryou didn't count his escape as running away. Thirty had been a nice rounded number to stop at. He didn't need "ran away from home forty plus times" on his transcript for college. Somehow he doubted the admissions office at Cambridge would find that miniscule detail as impressive as an unachievable "A" in science.

Balanced comfortably on the windowsill with his feet dangling only inches from the roof of the garage, Ryou leaned backwards into his room and snatched the pervasive Sennen Ring from his dresser. After fastening the rope around his neck, Ryou hid the golden halo under his sable-hued sweater. The flashes from the streetlamps were sure to catch on the polished artifact and give Ryou away. That was a lesson he'd learned after Failed Run Away Attempt Number Fourteen. Okay, so he'd gotten caught almost as many times as he'd successfully run away. _He _looked at it as a balance between cherub and delinquent.

As gauche as the teenager could be, Ryou had his stronger points. His angelic charm was, of course, one on the higher portion of the list - and his easy look into a person's psyche was always useful. But what he utilized tonight was presently more important than looking like an angel and reading minds. He could save those for later (Malik found the telepathy more than a little unnerving, so it was never a lost amusement when Ryou could tell him what he was thinking).

Tonight he used the sharp wit he was complimented by his teachers for and began circling the house by means of the chimneystack. He knew his father was in the basement, but his neighbors weren't _all_ asleep, the miserable spies. His best chance for accomplishing this escape was by taking the route between the backyards of houses. He'd only tried it once, when he left home to visit Duelist Kingdom. One of his more pointless trips, yes, but he suspected something must have happened during that time to have left the dark Sennen Ring Spirit so frighteningly delighted.

Shadows screened the olive yards as passing cars clipped the continuous flow of light from the streetlamps. Reviewing the sketchy map of his exodus, Ryou crept through a field of narrow fence posts without a splinter brushing his dark clothes. For all the blather he'd received from Malik and his friends for "starving himself", Ryou never once caught his agile frame feathering a narrow crevice. His "anorexia" was helping him live a criminal life. His yami would be proud, if he bothered to _exist _occasionally.

Yami no Bakura, as the Spirit had come to be named, paid little attention to his host. It seemed the only times he showed himself exclusively to his hikari were when Ryou was facing death or soul-crushing. Occasionally, Ryou caught morsels of his yami's stream of thought, but mostly he avoided contact with the Spirit's mind. Yami no Bakura had very bizarre problem free philosophies. Ryou could tell the Spirit hadn't been absorbing concepts while Ryou and his little cousin Katori watched the _Lion King_ last summer.

Ryou reached the main avenue without trouble, allowing himself to rest beneath a beam of light to organize the next stage of his plan. Before he could form anything, however, Ryou was startled into panic by a loud thunderclap. But it wasn't the thunder of the heavens. It was the infamous growl of a motorcycle.

Gingerly bouncing off the curb, Ryou raced across the vacant street toward the main road around the corner. As he veered around the bend, he caught sight of a familiar motorcycle and an even more familiar rider. Grinning elatedly, Ryou waved the Egyptian's attention to him. Shocked, Malik steered the bike to the sidewalk Ryou lingered on and quieted the engine with a turn of the key.

"Hey there, sweetheart," Malik said with a decadent wink. "Your momma know you're out?"

Laughing, Ryou replied honestly, "_She_ does (3), but I doubt my father will until morning."

Malik arched an eyebrow, folding his arms out on the plane of his handlebars and leaning his full weight on them. He squinted as if trying to read Ryou's eyes the way Ryou often read his and asked, "You ran away again?"

Ryou shook his head, smiling roguishly. "Running away is leaving without the intent of returning," he defined impishly. "This time, I plan on going back. I just haven't decided when."

Malik accepted this as it came to him, resisting the craving to push a minor interrogation on his younger koibito. Instead he said, "You want to wait here? I'll take this home and come back for you on foot." He wouldn't trust Ryou's life to anybody, let alone a collection of well-assembled, polished metal - even if it _was _his.

Unfortunately it was deep into the brothels of night and Ryou's grasp on compassionate actions was fragile. Apparently translating Malik's concern as patronizing, Ryou frowned and openly displayed the lesion wounding his soulful eyes. He didn't say anything; he didn't need to.

Malik held his ground firmly, sharply shaking his head. "No. It's too dangerous."

Ryou's eyes flared.

Oops.

"Oh, really," the younger boy growled, stepping off the curb and tilting his chin up so he was nearly nose-to-nose with the Egyptian. "I'm too much of a weakling to ride a motorcycle?"

"It's not that you're a weakling, Ry. It's just…bikes are really treacherous. I mean…there's drunk drivers, oil slicks, other bikers…. It's not that you're weak; it's just that I don't want to risk losing you to such a stupid cause." He italicized this softened statement with a ginger kiss to Ryou's forehead.

His charm was off that night.

Ryou backed away, but Malik knew better than to think he'd won. Moments later, his patience was rewarded as he saw the crumbling of the younger boy's offended front. _Oh, come on_, he prayed, _Re, don't let him do _that_. I can't stand _that_! _Ryou sniffled and dropped his defiant pose, pressing crossed, limp arms into his smooth abdomen. _Ugh! He's going to do it…. I _know_ he will_…. It wasn't loud, nor was it particularly noticeable, but when a single tear left the sanction of one of Ryou's fawn-brown eyes, Malik knew he'd lost.

"All right, you little imp," he snapped without venom. "Get on and quit the histrionics."

His koi hadn't spoken four words before Ryou grinned victoriously and kissed Malik's jaw line.

Malik rolled his eyes with a crumb of flourish. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered as Ryou climbed on behind him. "Just hold on."

Uncertainly and more than a little tentatively Ryou clasped his wrists around Malik's waist, relaxing his chin on the Egyptian's shoulder. Smirking affectionately, Malik corrected his saiai (4) and drew the younger boy's arms to wind more securely around his torso. He could feel Ryou smile against his cheek. "Sorry," the ivory-haired boy said sheepishly. "I've never really…uh…been on one of these before."

"Wonderful," the Egyptian sighed dramatically and fired the engine with the same turn of the bike's key. He nudged Ryou's chin lightly with a rise of his shoulder. "You're going to fall off."

Ryou frowned and opened his mouth to rebuff the statement when Malik interrupted, "No, I mean you're not holding on tight enough."

"Oh," smiled Ryou shyly, "oops." He locked his wrists closer together, aligning his chest and abdomen with Malik's back. Smiling nervously, Ryou asked over the starting din of the engine, "You wouldn't let me fall, would you?"

Malik turned his head and towed Ryou's lips into a comforting lock. Then, with a stunningly sinful smile, the Egyptian whispered into the younger boy's ear, "No more than you let me fall."

Left partially confused but overall comforted by Malik's puzzling comment, Ryou squeezed the embrace he continued to hold around his koi's chest. "Keep in mind that if I fall off, your next date will be with a hospital bed," he called back, smothering Malik's unprepared lips with a kiss full of his own transgression.

Malik smirked against the kiss and cooed mischievously, "I won't let you fall, kojika (5). Why would I risk a mouth like that?"

Before Ryou could dredge up the words for a lengthy reproof, the motorcycle roared in a voice like a wounded tiger and whipped into its full speed as though it was racing time itself. Ryou couldn't hold back his horror and squeaked, clinging desperately to Malik and hiding his face in the Egyptian's neck. Immediately reacting to the jolt of his Ryou's fear, Malik slowed the bike to a more manageable speed. Then he moved his focus to changing the location of his lungs from his chest to his stomach as Ryou seemed currently determined to shatter his ribcage and every major organ contained there within.

Finally, after a few millennia elapsed, Ryou dared to steal a look over Malik's shoulder and was met, astoundingly, with a bowl of glistening eye candy he never thought he'd be so exhilarated to see. Taki Hi (6) - the sanctuary of contemporary nightlife and where the light of today's youth hid their most cryptic faces.

Ryou might have never known such a place existed had it not been for Malik. His short life thus far had been strictly monitored by his father and what fun could be found outside of said parent's deluded Disney world was, in a word, outlawed. But then, dating a former criminal and unverified kleptomaniac probably wasn't what the former monarch of Disney Films would have dubbed appropriate for a G-rated movie. Especially not with a vocabulary like Malik's.

Taki Hi was in actuality a small island, surrounded by a manmade channel filled with what appeared to be fountains spurting licks of flame. Three bridges led straight into the heart of Taki Hi, but only one permitted motorcycles. And it didn't look as though Malik was planning on taking that one.

"Malik!" Ryou yelped disbelievingly. "They'll pull the bridge up!"

Malik shouted back, "They've never done it before!"

"_Before_!? YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE!?"

Several throngs of teenagers shrieked as though imitating doomed extras in another _Godzilla_ remake and crumbled away to make a pathway for the roaring bike. Ryou thought he felt one of Malik's ribs crack but couldn't find it in him to loosen his grip. Ahead, the bridge stood stolidly, taunting as a magician does right before snatching a cloth from underneath an assortment of expensive china. Ryou clenched his eyes shut, returning his forehead to the refuge of Malik's neck, groaning.

The bike let out a horrible, animalistic howl and lurched onto its back wheel, smearing a single black skid mark rebelliously into the concrete. The security guards rushing forward to stop the motorist saw this just in time to retreat and scream to the crowd to do likewise. It was a shame Ryou hadn't watched, Malik would reflect later, or he would have seen how capable a driver Malik was.

As Ryou predicted, the bridge's pulley wrenched the plank at its middle, tipping one end underwater and the other reaching for the clouds. Unfortunately, there was one teeny flaw in this plan. The motorcycle soared a bended arc, as if riding over a bridge of air. The teenagers _not_ occupying their intelligence - or lack there of, in some cases - by scrambling around the entryway like spasmodic kuribo gaped in transfixed awe as the bike's front wheel splintered the lip of the bridge and landed in a guttural crunch on the other side.

Malik reacted quickly to the impact and swerved the bike parallel to the "moat" below. There might not have been crocodiles down there (7), but he'd seen more than a few drunk teenagers halfway over the fence posts after one too many bottles of their parents' Sake (8) to assume that there was only water in the channel after sunset.

From all directions, applause broke out, girls catcalling and guys whooping enthusiastically. Malik pulled a few tangles from his hair and addressed his admirers smugly. His smile was dripping with sarcasm, as if noiselessly singing, "I'm too sexy for my bike, too sexy for the moat, too sexy for spazzed hair…."

Apparently, though, Ryou didn't get the memo that the bike had stopped. "_I'mgonnadieI'mgonnadie. I'mgonnafallandI'mgonnadieandthenI'mgoingtobreakmyheadopenandthen - _"

Malik coughed discreetly then, half out of amusement and half out of desperate need to prevent Ryou from squeezing his vital organs into creamed corn. "Koneko (9), as comfortable as it is having an internal meat grinder mincing my insides, I thought you'd like to know that we've stopped and that, coincidentally, you're not dead."

The senseless mantra paused and a snowy head shakily detached from Malik's neck. When the Egyptian turned his head to grin at his shaken koi, he was tersely thrown into hysterics at the flagrant terror marring the younger boy's usually complacent features. It didn't help, either, that Ryou's hair was currently hooked on a malady known as "Tongue-in-Socket Syndrome".

Slowly, Ryou recognized the real world through terror-slicked eyes and shook all the harder. "Y-y-y-you-y-y! Y-you BAKA!" he screeched, smacking Malik's blameless shoulder with the force of ten PMS-stricken kick boxers.

Malik yelped and massaged his lamenting limb, looking all the world like a confused five-year-old. "What'd I do?!" he whined, brought unexpectedly to the days of his youth when Isis would slap his shoulder for being, as she tactfully put it, "conveniently brainless".

"What-WHAT DID YOU _DO_?!" Ryou shrieked, quivering in fury. "You _know_ I'm petrified of heights, aho (10)!"

Malik scratched his neck sheepishly, smiling though anxiously. "Sorry?"

"Wha - WHO DID THIS?!"

Taking that exclamation as their cue to exit, Malik ignored Ryou's stammered protests and kicked his foot off the ground. In some remote corner of his ear, he heard Ryou cursing him in Japanese. With a wry snicker, Malik pulled Ryou's reluctant arms around his chest and tore through the praising throng of teenagers.

With a suspicious air of negligence, Malik stashed his precious motorcycle in a darkened alley, chaining it then to three rather bulky spikes embedded in the concrete wall. When the Egyptian reemerged from the shade, he found Ryou gazing at the heart of Taki Hi, the sculpture of Eien An'ya, eternal dark night. Though he was immensely amused by the disbelief on Ryou's face, Malik could sympathize with his koi's awe. The first time he'd seen the sculpture, he'd exclaimed an ancient Egyptian vulgarity so loud he'd made a group of ogling girls giggle.

To a newcomer who had never ventured this far into Taki Hi - in this case Ryou - Eien An'ya was the pinnacle of absolute fascination. In truth, the sculpture was actually a combined work of two enormous statues. The first, Eien, was a towering scarlet dragon whose tail and clawed hind legs were deeply submerged in the red lit pond. Its front claws rested on the back of a reared Pegasus whose colossal wings were of the glossiest ebony. This creature was An'ya, the beast of dark night.

With an entertained grin, Malik draped a lax arm over Ryou's shoulder, tapping the hanging jaw shut with the other. While Ryou gawped at the statues, Malik lazily caught and dragged the knots from the younger boy's hair. Once he'd restored the ivory locks to their former silken appeal, Malik comfortably curled both arms around Ryou's neck. "The outside is unbelievable, ne?"

Ryou found he couldn't quite wrench his gaze away from the gargantuan creatures and asked vaguely, "Outside?"

"Hm? Oh, well, yeah. This is the outside. Eien An'ya is a nightclub."

Ryou narrowed his eyes and studied the details of Eien's scales, finding, to his surprise, that every other scale was a ruby-tinted window. And on An'ya, the wings of the giant horse were supporting a broad expanse of balconies and alcoves. The sheltered boy gaped.

Malik was absently admiring the club even after Ryou turned in his embrace to ask him, "Why didn't you ever take me here before?!"

The Egyptian shrugged and drew his eyes from Eien An'ya to Ryou. He grinned. "Because you have to be seventeen to get inside."

Ryou frowned. "But I'm not seventeen until September."

"Eh. I got tired of waiting."

Ryou rolled his eyes, muttering, "Oh, well _of course_."

Malik laughed and dragged Ryou mercilessly toward the tail of Eien. Ryou quickened his pace to keep up with the Egyptian, still stunned by the _size_ of this club. Taki Hi had always been a favorite haunt of theirs, but Ryou had never even _seen_ Eien An'ya. But that explained why he incessantly heard teens talking about the "dragon club".

Malik passed directly by the line casually, ignoring the curious and in some cases, annoyed looks of the waiting patrons. Ryou made to ask Malik how he intended to get a minor into a club for older teens, but it proved to be a wasted worry. With merely a wolfish grin directed at one of the bouncers, Malik was admitted in, and therefore, Ryou.

As they ascended the winding, lightning-streaked staircase, Ryou asked, "Why did he just let you go in?"

Malik dropped his hand from Ryou's wrist to his hand and squeezed his palm lightly. With a roguish smirk, the Egyptian said calmly, "He's met my yami."

Ryou decided to hold back on questioning in the future. 

Eien turned out to be the club and An'ya a cluster of small lanais overlooking the whole of Taki Hi. When Ryou exhibited more interest toward the lanais than Eien, Malik hid a knowing smile and tugged Ryou in the direction of the Dragon's Wrist, the walkway that led to An'ya.

At the mouth of the walkway, Ryou froze. For not only were the scales of Eien tinted - its very body itself was. Standing on that catwalk was tempting death. After explaining this to _Malik_, however, Ryou was promptly laughed at.

Miffed, the ivory-haired teen muttered, "You don't hear me laughing at you, you ataxophobic."

Malik hesitated in his gala of amusement. "Ataxophobic?"

Ryou smiled, though it seemed the corner of his mouth seemed to be arcing in a suspicious angle. Sweet gods of fruitcake…was Ryou Bakura _smirking_!? "Fear of untidiness, love," the diamond-haired boy said sweetly.

Malik feigned a look of affront and folded his arms. Ryou realized with amusement that the older boy had a tendency to jut his hip slightly when he stood that way; he made a mental note to remind Malik that he could be, for all he knew, a basistasiphobic - one afraid of standing up straight. Now if only he could find the name for fear of the opposite sex….

"Dear Re, it's Anzu!"

Oh, that's right….

Malik snatched Ryou by the arm and both hid behind a rather thorough hefty pillar. The panicked teen pulled Ryou against his chest, peering over the smaller boy's shoulder as the ninth Egyptian plague prowled by in a style _so_ last year it made Malik's stomach churn. "If I ever mix hot pink and lime green - even if I've contracted some rare African disease and am too blind to see my own striking reflection - just shoot me, all right?" he whispered to Ryou.

"You didn't see the worst of it," said Ryou in a shuddering tone. "She was wearing sandals with socks."

Malik screamed but was luckily muffled by both the loud thrumming of the music and Ryou's accommodating hand before the sound could carry to Anzu's ears.

While Malik began to meticulously dig his knuckles into his eyes, attempting to scour away the image of the early 90's era style of green and pink, Ryou tilted his head slightly and caught sight of a window half ajar. And in that window was a perfect view of at least five lanais, only three of which were occupied. Curious as to what purpose these balconies served, Ryou absently trailed away from Malik to the window, squinting into the shaded area.

Whoever designed Eien An'ya must have purposely hung a wing over the dragon's head, where the club was located, for Ryou couldn't make out anything more than the lanais themselves. Although….

"Malik!" he called, waving urgently. When he sensed the Egyptian presence closer to him, Ryou said, "Is that…?"

Frowning, Malik spun his gaze outside, systematically picking out various lanais until he spotted the one Ryou's eyes were trained steadfastly on. "Oh, my…."

"They…is that them?!"

"It looks like them, doesn't it?"

The objects of Ryou's and Malik's stares were only a dozen feet away and two stories higher. Even with this distance, however, Ryou and Malik could hear _every word_ they said. Despite his conscience's grumbling, Ryou paid strict attention to the scene above, disbelieving.

"I didn't even know they were dating!" he cried quietly.

Malik shook his head in agreement.

The couple were arguing in a tempestuous flurry of biting remarks and angry tears. Apparently the pair had been keeping this relationship burrowed under the blankets and one of them didn't have the desire to hide it anymore. Finally, one had enough and stormed from the balcony, in tears and barely holding back profanity it was so obvious he _needed _to let free. Moments later, the other followed.

Malik broke the awkward silence following the scene by kissing his saiai vehemently. After a few moments filled with nothing but a very deeply compliant Ryou, Malik broke the connection between lips and electric surf. He then took to toying with Ryou's hair, nimble fingers sketching the texture with elegance.

"What was that for?" asked Ryou breathlessly.

Malik shrugged and twirled a strand of ivory around his index finger, slowly letting it unravel into a spell of flowing whorls. "Testing a theory of Jounouchi's."

Ryou's demeanor flashed a spasm of fear. "Please tell me you're kidding," he said slowly. "What theory?"

"He seems to believe that if someone kisses you too hard, you'll swallow their tongue."

Ryou, the poor dear, looked desperately lost. So, to ease the younger boy's obvious confusion, Malik decided to test another theory of Jounouchi Katsuya's - a kiss can last no longer than a minute without air.

Thirty seconds later, Ryou was doing his koibito proud. The boy hadn't even showed the vaguest of hints that he needed air. Forty seconds…. Forty three…. Forty eight…. Fifty six…. Fifty eight -

Ryou broke off in a torrent of gasps, his face flush with exertion. Malik groaned. "_Ryou_!"

"Wh-wha-what?!" panted Ryou, leaning against the pillar behind him gratefully. "Do I look like I have gills to you?!"

Malik cursed. "Perfect," he huffed. "N-now I owe the…male cheerleader…his card back."

"Wha…what c-card?"

"That stupid pocket watch that looks like the mascot of a cereal box."

"The Time Wizard?"

"Yeah, that thing."

Ryou pulled in another breath and assembled a proper reproachful glare to aim at his koi. "You're not serious. You've been stealing cards again?" He adapted also a rather injured frown. "You promised me you wouldn't do that anymore."

"I didn't steal anything! I simply intercepted it at a point of time when he wasn't putting the thing to good use."

The expression he received in reward for his tact was purely acerbic.

Malik shrugged and reached 'round to pull said card from his back pocket. With a frown, however, he revealed not only the card but a rather familiar vanilla-scented candle. "What the…? Ryou, how did this get here?"

To be Continued…

1 - Ryou's sister (Amene) who died in a car crash.

2 - Personal note. I'm pissed at the Zelda creators for making the newest version of Link look like a doped up version of Kirby. *Cringe*

3 - As far as my knowledge goes, Ryou's mother is dead. And following both Egyptian and Christian belief, she'd still look over him even after she passed away.

4 - Saiai (beloved)

5 - Kojika (fawn)

6 - Taki Hi (Fire Waterfall)

7 - Medieval times. Royalty would put vicious creatures in moats to keep out trespassers…or thrill seeking Egyptians looking to scare the color back into their kojika's hair….

8 - Japanese alcohol.

9 - Koneko (Kitten)

10 - Aho (dumb ass; ditz) *Snicker*

Sorry for the extensive notes. *Sheepish grin*

****

Solitaire - Oh, isn't he? 'Course, the boy was the youngest, so he's bound to be more than a little spoiled. Believe me, I know what that's like. Being the youngest gives you a forked tongue. *Grin* Comes with the territory. **Kiirar **- Well, that's assuming Malik was a _smart_ bishie. Unfortunately, Malik's got a few viruses in the reflex portion of his brain. But that's perfectly all right, since he's got enough wit and handsome features to fill the gap with. =) **Reen **- Aren't they just precious? I'm completely in love with them. *Sigh* **ShannonL **- You're right. The faucet's all bent out of shape about it now, though. But it just goes to show, you can't tell a candle what's what, ne? The best inanimate objects fic on the whole site? Well, jeez. How's that for sanction? ;) Thanks, ma copine! **Satori Opaque **- Ohh, yeah. You can bet Ryou's father is definitely wishing school went on all year round. **Pepper Breath **- Actually, I just looked up koi. And one of its meanings is "carp", but another is "(n,vs) love; tender passion". But I also looked up "koibito" and decided I like that better. There's a lot of words with "koi" in them. It's scary. =) But thanks for pointing it out. *Snicker* His fish. *Laughs* Oh, that's horrible. If its only meaning was carp, they'd make themselves solid and hunt me down. I wonder what kind of fish they'd be? Oh, damn it, look what you've gone and done. You gave me fic inspiration. ;) **Slytherinette **- Hehe, why thank you. =) I'm glad you liked it. **Malik'sgurl **- I wrote more! *Grin* And just because you said please. Hehe. **Sailor Comet **- Wow, the candle's getting popular! Man, the faucet's starting to get jealous, guys…. **Taito-kisses **- *Grin* Glad Dogma liked it. My aim was to make people go "aw" over the couple and you people are fawning over the candle. *Grin* Honestly. ;) **Waterfall2014 **- Yes…the poor candle. *Shakes head* It'll need therapy now. But at least it knows it's smarter than the faucet! **Shadow-of-Death **- Class? Whoa. Thanks! =D Keep reviewing, I like you. Hehehe. **Youko Duet **- Hehe, thanks! Wow, the candle and faucet were even capitalized! =D Wow, guys. Hehe. I think the inanimate characters are more popular than Malik and Ryou…. ;) Arigatou! **Hana no Ceres** - LOL! Really? Aww, you shouldn't have worried about them so much. I promise Malik won't die by toiletry items. ;) **Rai-Chan** - hehe, thank you! And see, I wrote more! =D **Bakura and Malik's Angel** - I continued. =) And thank you! **Lemon-Merengue** - Aww, you're sweet. Thanks! **Fate** - Wow, *blush* thanks, chica! I'm looking forward to updating now, hehe. *Grin*

A collective thanks to my reviewers! =D I love you all! It turns an atrocious day into a much happier one. Arigatou!

**

**REVIEWERS**: So…who's the pair Ry and Maly saw? I actually had a pair chosen, but it'll be more fun on both extremes if the reviewers pick. What pairing do you guys want? Whatever pair gets the most votes, I'll do. Just remember…Trei doesn't do het. ;) Ciao!


	3. Master of Mice vs the Dragon's Slut

Naming the Flame

Trei

Chapter Three

--**Note: **While I'm striving to stay loyal to the Japanese names, I rather dislike the name Otogi [oh-toe-gi *cringe*], so I'm going to call him by his first name, Ryuuji [Ryou-gee] (it has Ryou in it, hehe). For those unfamiliar to the Japanese version, Otogi Ryuuji is Duke Devlin in the dub, the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters and a downright sexy bishie. ;)--

While Malik put the very crème de la crème of his persuasive talents to work on making Ryou cross the walkway between Eien and An'ya (in his mind: the barrier between dancing and making out), two subjects of the careful reforming of one Yugi Motou were swiftly reverting back to their former, more devious selves. Against the ankle of An'ya leaned one of these boys, a strikingly handsome teen studiously keeping his presence locked in the shade An'ya's hefty bulk offered.

Several passersby - mostly female - pointed and whispered breathlessly. But they didn't _dare_ approach the mastermind of Dungeon Dice Monsters while he looked ready to detonate the core of the Earth. Some things autographs just aren't worth.

By no stretch of the imagination was Ryuuji all that frightening to begin with, but with the "I will eat your heart" (1) look he had stubbornly plastered across his rather elegant features, it was enough to ward away his skittish cheerleaders. And in truth, though he wasn't paying much attention to the hesitant glimpses cast in his direction, Ryuuji wouldn't have minded all that horribly that he was keeping his fans away. On the contrary, he preferred not to see _any _of his dice cult tonight. There was only one person he had any desire to see presently and that individual was avoiding him.

And not without reason, either, the sixteen-year-old reflected with forced diplomacy. While absently trailing ginger fingertips along his golden armband, he admitted inwardly (the only place he ever admitted anything) that his behavior tonight _had_ been a little selfish. But he had more to concern himself with than a teenage romance…that wouldn't last for much longer anyway. His career was more important than some fleeting crush. Em…right. Fleeting crush. That was _exactly_ what it was…. Oh, look! Ryuuji has a dice earring!

A flash of brilliant light that Ryuuji instantly knew hadn't come from the lit fountains distracted the dice player's concentrated attention from his drawn-out internal musings. Tilting his chin slightly, Ryuuji sought out the diversion with vague annoyance. He never enjoyed being part of a fight he knew from the start he would lose. And emotions, damn the lot of them, were bound to defeat him once again.

To Ryuuji's disappointment, the flash he'd seen was a spotlight of gold from Eien mirroring off of the china-white and feather-soft hair of one Ryou Bakura. Uninterested, Ryuuji sulkily looked away. Halved seconds later though, Ryuuji started and shot his sparkling emerald gaze at the crimson-tinted walkway between An'ya and Eien. Quite promptly, Ryuuji's jaw dislocated and dropped.

Ryou, though, wasn't the main attraction (though he _was_ cute, Ryuuji mused with a grin). The _real_ source of interest was the one kissing him. Malik Ishtar. Dear _dice _they were _dating_?! Or at least, one had to assume, given that Ryou wasn't fighting the casual embrace. At all. In the slightest. In any way. …Squeak?

"Interesting turn of events. The master of dice has become the master of mice. A vast improvement, if you ask me."

Ryuuji, still on edge from catching the holder of the Ring and Time Magazine's Schitzo of the Year playing an avid round of tonsil hockey (2), spun around to find yet another unexpected - and wholly disliked - surprise. Seto Kaiba. Oh _goodie_.

"No one _did_ ask you," Ryuuji snapped acerbically.

The other boy smirked vaguely in the annoying manner that hinted had he been twelve years younger he'd be skipping around Ryuuji shrieking, "I KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW!"

Ryuuji didn't like Kaiba. At all. In the slightest. In any way. …Blech.

To see Kaiba detached from his own shadow, so to speak, was uncommon. To see him in public without weapons of mass destruction was eerie. To see him without his laptop in sight was cause for large streams of panicked civilians to rush from Domino in hordes to the nearest bomb shelter 'cause Armageddon's a-comin'!

Ahem.

"Don't you have some low self-esteem cases to macerate?" Ryuuji inquired coolly.

Kaiba's smirk sharpened hostilely. "Not enough of a challenge. Why do you think I avoid contact with you?"

"Remind me what's stopping me from killing you," grated out Ryuuji.

"Several things. Not the least of which is your astounding fear of tousling your…distinctive hair."

"Better to be distinctive than mainstream in a society you pretend to fight against, hypocrite."

Chords struck: one. Score: Kaiba: 3; Ryuuji: 3.

"Better to be a revolutionary against the more idiotic details of conformity than to be a sheep to the reincarnation of a malnourished runt of a tyrant."

Ryuuji winced. Foul shot for team Ryuuji. Two shots.

"I wouldn't bring up dependency, Kaiba. How many guys your age you know keep a necklace with his little brother's picture in it? Most guys wouldn't even wear a necklace like that unless he had a picture of his girlfriend to keep in it. But you don't have a koi, do you, Kaiba? Now why is that? Oh, that's right. You frighten girls."

Kaiba's jaw had visibly tightened, the fists by his side no longer comfortably resting but strained and white.

Score: Ryuuji: 5; Kai -

__

SLAM.

Game called off due to spinning world.

**

Ryou only consented to crossing the walkway after Malik promised to shield his eyes the whole petrifying expedition over. Even then, the Egyptian couldn't shield the images of both plunging to their deaths from Ryou's mind. Thus, he was vastly confused when Ryou abruptly yelped and tore across the remaining stretch of walkway like a cheetah on speed.

Bewildered, Malik jogged after him, stopping at the darkened staircase leading downward into An'ya's belly. He smiled and leaned on the topmost banister, watching his adorable koi shake a few stair lengths down, so near to whimpering that Malik had to laugh. "Even if the bridge _was _rickety, which it isn't, it wouldn't have fallen under your weight, kichou (3). I don't think you in your heavyweight glory of one hundred fourteen pounds would have done much to impair the structure of the bridge."

Ryou's ingenious retort of "venomous scowl" promptly silenced the Egyptian.

"I don't like being high up," the younger boy said after a glaring moment (literally). "I don't trust heights."

Malik noted the delicate implication and asked uncomfortably, "I've never, um, given you the impression that I'd try to throw you off a cliff or anything, have I? Lately? Ever?"

Ryou froze, studying Malik tensely. "Of course not." He raised his hand to block a passing ray of neon azure and asked suspiciously, "Is this your way of breaking up? Or just breaking?"

Malik laughed and laced an arm around Ryou's waist, kissing his koibito's nose. "If it was anybody else, it would be foreshadowing. But for you…hm. I might just slip arsenic in your cream puffs."

"Aww, a sweet death," deadpanned the younger. He poked Malik in the chest teasingly, leaning his weight backwards onto Malik's bracing wrists with an unconscious trust. "Don't you touch my cream puffs."

Had the banter continued, Malik would have conjured a way to subtly escort his preoccupied kojika to the lanais, but Mother Seduction was tired of seeing the insatiable couple successfully receiving more than their fair share of each other that night. Thus, moments before the idea of suffocating Ryou's better judgment with another lip locking duel surfaced the entry hall of An'ya echoed with a familiarly unwelcome voice.

"Bakura?"

Malik cursed vehemently as Ryou split from his arms and staggered half-gracelessly into the lit walkway. "Jounouchi-kun!" he greeted amicably, smiling serenely. "What are you doing here?"

Malik was floored.

Jounouchi was apparently only just passing the access of the walkway, pausing at a temporary rest. He didn't see Malik in the shadows - he would have arched his back, hissed and ran into a corner to growl and sharpen his claws if he had. Smiling exasperatedly, the blond duelist replied, "On my way to divorce Kaiba's fist from Ryu - Otogi's face."

Apparently Malik was second in line to catch the slip. The scented candle he had relocated to his back pocket jolted from its snug tavern and pummeled the floor with a raucous vengeance. …Whoever gave An'ya hollow metal floors would have a stick of vanilla sticking from both ears before this night was over.

"What was that?" asked Jounouchi, peering over Ryou's shoulder suspiciously.

"I don't know," answered Ryou with a naïve tone. Malik smiled with a fierce kind of pride. Ryou shouldn't have been able to lie so easily, but then - that was the advantage. No one would ever believe Ryou had the capacity to lie. "Let's get out of here. Kaiba could take down a lion if he wanted."

Malik gawped indignantly. Ditched! For another blond!

"Hai," Jounouchi answered with a suspicious glance at the shadows. Malik melted deeper into the darkness.

In a quiet voice, quieter than could have been heard over the music if Malik hadn't been so close, Ryou said, "What happened between you and Otogi-kun?"

Jounouchi sighed, looked around for standbys listening in and murmured back, "He doesn't want anybody to know. He made sense…he doesn't want us getting any shit about it at school - plus there's his career in the way. But I couldn't just _give up_, you know?"

Ryou arched an eyebrow and Malik snickered silently. That gesture was a neon sign of danger. "What did you do?" the diamond-haired teen asked.

"I, em, started crying and ran out on him. I uh, kinda lost him somewhere along the way though."

Ryou stared incredulously, unknowingly accompanied in that action by his shadowed koibito. "You started crying?!"

Jounouchi shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "I didn't exactly…uh. Well, I…. I faked it."

The other teen was silent for a moment and Malik wondered if his tenshi was about to unleash a sigh of disappointment. Instead, though, Ryou said with a slow smile, "That was wrong of you, Jounouchi-kun."

Malik's eyes widened. _He better not be picking up tips_, he thought. Ryou glanced over his shoulder and winked at Malik. _Oh, shit. _The Egyptian resisted the urge to sneeze - just to see how Ryou would wriggle his way out of _that_.

But he missed his chance, unfortunately, and Ryou led Jounouchi out of sight by the wrist, commenting, "Otogi-kun's going to kill you when he hears this."

As soon as their voices and footfalls were torn to ambiguity by the thrumming music, Malik materialized into the gaping swallows of light, leaning over to retrieve the troublesome candle. After straightening, the Egyptian regarded the scented cane skeptically. Then he muttered an ancient Egyptian curse he'd learned from his sister, Isis, and chucked the candle down the dark stairwell, stalking off to enjoy the brawl.

**

Kaiba hovered over the ebony-haired dice player dispassionately. While Ryuuji struggled to ward away the pain in his jaw by massaging the tender area with his hand, the CEO said with an enlightening tone, "That was a fist that hit you."

"I couldn't tell," hissed Ryuuji, glaring poisonously at the taller boy. Then, with a small grunt, he climbed to his feet. Though he swayed slightly, Ryuuji reminded himself that he backed down to no one. His koi when he was mad, maybe, but _not_ Kaiba. Or his math teacher…but not Kaiba. Or…well, let's just say Ryuuji didn't back down to Kaiba.

"You may say anything you like to me," said Kaiba coolly, making it a point to look _down_ at his rival, "provided that you have the spine to back it up. But if you ever take a jibe at my brother again, the only comments you'll be making will be served directly to your maker, _what_ever you imagine that to be."

Still nursing his jaw with a gentle hand, Ryuuji snapped painfully, "I'll say whatever I wish to you, Kaiba, provided _you_ have the spine to handle it."

The CEO smirked in either amusement or warning, glancing sideways to acknowledge the crowd gathering. "I can manage anything you throw at me, onna-tarashi (4)."

"Then manage _this_," Ryuuji snarled, launching a fist at Kaiba's face.

"KAIBA! RYUUJI! STOP!"

Ryuuji's fist paused, but Kaiba didn't. As soon as the shorter boy was properly distracted, Kaiba hooked a kick round the back of Ryuuji's knees and sent the raven-haired teen to his knees with a stunned yelp.

Jounouchi, followed closely by Ryou, cut through the crowd and immediately dropped beside Ryuuji. Ryou hung back slightly, tensing at the sight before him. Under the weight of Kaiba's glare, however, the younger boy was prompted to shift closer to Jounouchi and Ryuuji.

The blond was murmuring to Ryuuji, his arm draped protectively around the younger teen's back. What he said was too quiet to be heard by any spectator present, but the comforted nod Ryuuji offered was evidence enough that Jounouchi's words had been mostly reassurance.

Kaiba relaxed into a nonchalant stance, lazily crossing his arms over his chest. "Strange couple," he commented. "A dog and a mouse? However do you manage foreplay?"

The swarm of teenagers surrounding them chortled and "Oooh"ed mockingly. Ryuuji, a panicked look on his face, lifted his head and unconsciously reddened furiously. "What are you blathering on about, Kaiba?" he snapped weakly.

Jounouchi's arm tightened imperceptibly around the younger teen.

Kaiba watched the interaction between the two teens with openly displayed interest, smirking reflexively. "So, puppy, you found a toy. Or perhaps…it's the other way around?"

Ryuuji dismissed embarrassment and launched at the other boy, successfully tackling Kaiba to the ground. From all curves of the besieged area, chanting arose from the silence. "Fight! FIGHT! _FIGHT_!"

But before the din and skirmish could advance beyond moderately harmful, a familiarly Egyptian-tinged accent rang out through the pandemonium, "RYOU!" The screaming and chanting died down and all eyes turned to the fallen form of Ryou Bakura, Ring lifelessly clutched in his hand.

**

Yamis were curious things. Their name, "yami" was Japanese, a language belonging to a country they had not even known existed. An island continent, they heard. Oi, an island. A miserable patch of land surrounded by voracious, life-sucking water. But this was no bountiful Nile River. Ohhh no. This was an _ocean_! Eugh. Damned Pharaoh. Sure, he built pyramids, ruled over Egypt and made monuments that had yet to be destroyed - so? Yami no Bakura could have done that easily. Why couldn't he have drained the ocean? How difficult could it have been?

And as the Pharaoh would someday have the challenge of yanking the plug from the Pacific Bathtub, Yami no Bakura currently had a predicament of his own on his metaphysical hands. At one time, Malik Ishtar had owned a Sennen Item himself - the Sennen Rod. But following Battle City, both the Rod and the spirit within were lost to him forever. Or…em…so it had been assumed. The spirit of the Sennen Rod was presently restored to the streets of Domino. And it was all thanks to Yami no Bakura. Now…how was he supposed to weasel out of this?

Well, since no one can really follow the logic of a madman without then tumbling into the same disease of lunacy himself, the narration will detail his movement and expression rather than the pattern of his psyche.

Currently, said spirit was prowling the darkened edges of his soul room, absently curling adroit fingers around the artifact lying tranquilly against his chest. His face reflected his thoughts - dark and labyrinthine.

Finally, after several minutes of this restless pacing, the darkness residing in Ryou Bakura's mind ripped the Sennen Ring from his neck. In the next moment, the artifact's glowing encompassed the room like a Biblical flood. And when the blinding light faded back to its golden origin, the spirit was gazing absently at a patch of the floor where his younger counterpart sat, blinking in mystified awe. But not fear.

Neither spoke for an alarmingly stretched span of time, spirit and child sizing each other's next actions and thoughts. This meeting was the first either would have face to face without the sword of Damocles (5) hovering over their necks. At length, the spirit crouched before the younger boy, impassive as Ryou's hand slowly rose to clutch his own Ring protectively. The _real _Ring.

"You prefer life to death," the former tomb robber stated, studying Ryou's eyes.

The boy once again expressed confusion by shuttering the lids of his eyes, seemingly not noticing exactly how effeminate the gesture illustrated him to be. The spirit took this bewilderment rather well considering the sporadic duration of his explosive temper and climbed to his feet fluidly.

Abruptly, Ryou, still seated on the floor, asked, "Em…why - uh - why do you ask?" in a curious, yet wary, tone.

The spirit smiled. Or rather, the corners of his mouth lifted into what _could_ have been a smile - if they hadn't stretched to his cheekbones and revealed an enviable set of fang-like teeth. "It wasn't a question," he said with a dark chuckle. "It was an observation. Most mortals of this age fear death." A dagger pinched the hollow of Ryou's neck. "Do you?"

Ryou slowly allowed his eyes to span the shimmer of the blade. "Yes," he said quietly.

Seemingly satisfied and smiling in the same disturbed manner, the spirit brought the dagger back to a concealed sheath underneath a rather Egyptian-looking garb. Unexpectedly, he said to Ryou, "Death is not to be feared. It is what makes death a blessing that should be feared."

Ryou edged back anxiously. "What do you mean?" he asked.

The spirit reached out and elegantly brushed a few wisps of silver from Ryou's eyes. Frowning with concentration, the Egyptian said, "You should consider cutting your hair. The August heat will make it unbearable to tame."

Ryou stared dumbly. Death to suffering to hair care. Baka (6) father giving him a baka Ring with a barking lunatic inside….

"Barking?" asked the spirit curiously, withdrawing his hands from Ryou's hair. His eyes narrowed. "Are you calling me an inu (7)?"

The boy shook his head vividly. "N-no. It's just an expression…. It means - "

"The spirit of the Sennen Rod has been released from the Shadow Realm. And he is in mortal form."

Taken aback by the spasmodic conversation and the lurches it took in terms of topics, Ryou stammered out, "He - he's free?! And _human_?! How!?"

The spirit tilted his head and the eerily demented smile returned in full flourish. "Consider what I suggested regarding your hair. The temperature will rise dramatically soon enough." Then, leaning his mouth close to Ryou's ear, the spirit whispered, "And not simply owing to the season."

Ryou was further mystified by the dark spirit's cryptic words, but failed to carry on questioning as the dark version of his own Ring around the spirit's neck began to whistle and beam with intense light. And then the soul room was dark and the spirit was alone, studying his nails. "Anuksa (7)," he spat. "A hangnail."

To be Continued…

1 - *Snicker* For fans of _Little Nicky_

2 - Try-outs this Friday, boys. Bring your friends. ;)

3 - Kichou (precious…sssss)

4 - Onna-tarashi (playboy)

5 - Sword of Damocles - analogy meaning imminent danger

6 - Baka (idiot)

7 - Inu (dog)

8 - Anuksa (shit) - it's meant to be ancient Egyptian, but since there's no "Profanity Guide" on Egyptian slang, I had to be creative. :) Gomen!

****

Malik'sgurl - Hehe! Very cool, thank you for saying 'please'. =) And no, Taki Hi is just something I made up. But you're right; I wish it were real too, lol. I was originally going to set it downtown in Tokyo, but I've never been to Tokyo, so I wanted to be at least a little realistic. So I went completely fictional and made shit up. *Grin* **Taitofan **- Really? Aw, I'm flattered! Hehe, I was actually going to take the "Sweet gods of fruitcake" line out. I didn't think many people would appreciate the humor of it. I was wrong! =) **Reen **- Wow, you definitely know how to flatter a girl. Your reviews are definitely looked forward to =D **Kiirar **- Actually, that's an interesting concept…. I wonder if Malik _can_ swim! Hm…. **Hotaruchan27 **- Whoa, you were definitely enthusiastic! =D That feedback was definitely valued, hehe. What was the chapter you were writing? **Chibi da Special Ed Reject **- hehe, updated again. And continued! **Satori Opaque **- *Wrinkles nose* Eww, so would I! Believe me, Anzu's only getting in here as the ninth plague. Actually, I don't think she's in the rest of it. I'll ship her off to boot camp for the disliked or something. **Kitsune Hashiba** - Ooh, I like you! Isn't it sad? After Ocarina, they just went downhill. *Sigh* And nice catch with the Jou theory. Seto and Jou _was _the couple I was considering before I asked the reviewers, hehe. **Hana no Ceres** - Hehe! Bakura and Seto? My God, girl, you read my mind. I was thinking before what the weirdest pairing someone could vote and that was the first one that popped into my head. And you're right…always Bakura. *Grin* Don't worry about Ry's dad. Ry's a little bitter in this chapter toward him. He'll be nicer later, lol. **Solitaire and Xpyne** - LOL! Little vehement about the whole Jou/Seto thing, aren't you? Well, I actually love the pairing, but I doubt it'll be in this fic. Loudly. *Grin* **Shannon **- Wow. Rishid and Jou? _That's_ definitely a pair I never heard before. And while it sounds interesting, I don't think this fic'll have it. But you're right. In the right case, it _would_ make sense. Hey, maybe you could write it? You sound like you have sense enough to pull it off. :) **Pepper Breath** - Ooh, sorry about the Anzu thing. Not a fan. At all. I don't hate her, I just find her irritating (though I've heard hearsay that Anzu is cooler than Tea…pretty easy to accomplish, though, lol). She's actually not going to be in the rest of the story, so you won't see her bashed anymore. Directly. ;) Seto/Otogi, hm? Well…that's another I haven't seen before. Y'all're creative! LOL! I'm an emu! Tremu. *Snicker* That could go places…. **Curunir Elentare Taranimgul** - Awww! That's the sweetest review I've gotten yet! I'd hug you, but then you'd think I'm weird…er. Hehe. I love your penname. Lord of the Rings-esque (another favorite fandom, hehe). **Waterfall2014** - I'm perpetually amazed how many people love Jou and Seto as a pair. *Sigh* As do I. *Grin* And between you and me (and, um, everyone else), Seto/Jou'll show up. ;) Won't tell you how, but it will. BUAHAHA. **False Chaos** - I agree with you…. Malik somehow doesn't strike me as the kind of kid concerned enough with safety to wear a helmet. I'm sensing adult censorship. *Cough* Notice he doesn't wear one in the manga…. Hmmm. 'Course, Bakura also licks blood off a freshly ripped out golden eyeball, so…. *Grin* LOL, and I tried not to let Ryou become too much of a simp. *Grin* Fluffy. Hehehe. And I'm flattered by the "realistic couple" comment. :) I was trying to make them couple-ish, but not disgustingly so. I look forward to your reviews and comments! ;) *Hands over Fluffy chibi doll* **Youko Duet** - Every day!? You're exaggerating, ;) but it's flattering anyway, hehe. LOL. I don't plan on letting this slip into the Despaired-Pit-Of-The-Never-To-Be-Updated (™ Youko Duet), so don't worry. Hehe. I did? IC? …*Google-eyed* Eee! …Hehehe! *Hands over Ryou Goes Bambi Plushie (™ Trei)* *Grin* Have fun. And I tried to go with your suggestion…. Seto's _part_ of it. *Sheepish grin* **Shadow-of-Death** - Hehehe! I actually almost took the motorcycle bit out. I thought it was a little too James Bond, but hey, people liked it. =) **Demon Darkness Wanderer** - Hehe, thanks. It's nice to see Ryou winning for once, ne?

**

Jou/Seto got the most votes, last I checked, so don't think any pairing you see is permanent unless you want it to be. Except Ryou and Malik. I couldn't bear to rip them apart. *Sigh* Such bishies….

Erm…these notes to you guys are kind of (extremely) long. Gomen nasai! Get me started and I don't stop. ;) Do you mind them or should I take them off altogether? I don't want to pick certain reviews and exclude others, because they're all dear to me. Trying to make an elated-looking happy face, but it's not working…. :D Best I can do, hehe. I'm deeply touched by your reviews :), they always make me smile. …And laugh, hehe. - By the way…has anybody else seen the Pirates of the Caribbean trailer? Oh, Lordie…. *Swoon*


	4. Heartless Cronies

Naming the Flame

Trei

Chapter Four

--**Note**: You may have noticed that the summary continues to change. This is done intentionally. Someone pointed this out to me as a possible mistake, but I promise you it's not. There is a greater plotline to this story that will begin to unravel in this chapter. The reason for the altering summaries is to keep you up to date with the _scenes_, not the entire story itself. I have a complete summary written up and I take fragments of it every time the story takes a new turn. I find that in books and in movies, summaries often ruin the more delightful twists of the plot. I'm endeavoring not to make the same mistake here. I apologize if it confused anybody. ^.^ --

Malik drew his diamond-haired koibito into his arms, lifting the nearly weightless body from the concrete. Behind him, Ryuuji and Kaiba had separated vastly in the moments following the Egyptian's cry, leaving a substantial gap that only Jounouchi filled. The blond, as would be expected in a situation of that sort, didn't appear to be too thrilled about the arrangement. He kept this awareness alive by occasionally scowling at Kaiba and edging closer to Ryuuji. As if it was any doubt among the spectators _now_ whose puppy he was.

The crowd was pushing and shoving now to get a glimpse of what had caused the din to break. Assuming the horde would dismiss Ryou and himself as bystanders and move onto the two previously brawling teens, Malik subtly clutched Ryou closer to his chest and searched for a way out. Oh, lovely. Trapped in a mosh pit with an unconscious kojika.

From somewhere in the crowd, a voice yelled, "Hey! That's that Egyptian asshole that tried to kill Yugi Motou!"

Malik resisted the urge to sigh exasperatedly as the masses began to hiss and chatter rabidly. _Oh, right. Remember all the _negative _things I've done. Don't remember that I willingly gave Yugi my god cards and the Rod. Don't remember that I saved Ryou from wearing white after Labor Day…. Don't remember that I defended the name of organized teenagers worldwide by banishing Honda to the Shadow Realm for an hour for calling me a "neat freak"…._

Back in the world of sanity, Jounouchi, who had, admittedly, never been a fan of Malik's, stepped up to the Egyptian's side and frowned out at the crowd. And when wonders threatened to cease, Ryuuji took up Malik's other side, folding his arms challengingly. Malik would have fainted if Ryou wasn't tucked so securely into his arms. Otogi Ryuuji and Jounouchi Katsuya _helping_ him? …He hadn't given them any drugs _tonight_, had he?

The grumbling in the mob began to rise in volume and despite himself, Malik felt nervous. Sure, he could have easily taken any one of them down with little more than a toothpick, but even Kaiba couldn't have taken the twenty plus angry teenagers. Not to mention the fact that Kaiba had already conveniently made his exit.

It was a stalemate. No one breathed or moved for concern of beginning an all out crusade against evil blonds. Malik, in one of his stupider moments, backed up a step to shift his weight to the opposite leg, making it look as though he were planning to bolt. Ryou's head dipped dangerously over Malik's arm, his arm dropping lifelessly at the ground. Obviously, this didn't make a good impression on the Anti-Malik Assembly.

"He's killed that boy!" someone shouted.

Malik scowled. Now _that_ was the stupidest thing he'd heard all night outside of Jounouchi feigning tears to weasel out of an argument with Ryuuji. Kill Ryou? What, just because the Rod's spirit routinely massacred people, it made _Malik_ the villainous asshole? …Right, no one knew about the Sennen Rod's spirit except Yugi's friends and Malik's undersized family. Press conference, please?

Most likely by accident (a very idiotic accident), a girl near the frontlines began choking violently on a kernel of popcorn. Now, because Malik had once long ago owned an Item that contained the power of possession, the kernel choking was _obviously_ his fault. So, drawing enough evidence from this, the pack of enraged teenagers stampeded at the four teenagers, their blood-thirsty eyes trained solely on Malik, disregarding or maybe not even noticing the ivory treasure in his arms.

Malik followed animal instinct and pitched out of the way, careful to keep Ryou from hitting the ground. As a result, the pavement did a fairly painful dance routine on the bare skin of Malik's arms. Jounouchi and Ryuuji held off as many as they could, but the masses were fixed on tearing Malik apart, unconcerned with what or who they had to push aside to do it.

A rather muscular teen around eighteen broke through Jounouchi's restraining grasp and dove straight at the sprawled Egyptian. His eyes were manic with an animal instinct Malik recognized as bloodthirst. …_Greaaat_.

However, the Egyptian's attacker never got close enough to even breathe the same air as Malik. Moments before he touched ground, another figure, lither and smaller, darted from the mob and tackled the older teen to the pavement, landing a crunching _smack_ on the attacker's skull. The guy blinked hazily and dropped back onto the concrete, clutching his head.

Malik's savior climbed to his feet deftly and reached a hand in Malik's direction. The Egyptian was stunned by how alike the boy and Ryou were in appearance. The only major differences were height and the piercing oceanic gaze of this one. Malik had forgotten Ryou wasn't the only gorgeous boy in the universe (some would define that as Chronically Whipped).

Suddenly quite conscious of the onslaught of infuriated teens, Malik grabbed the outstretched hand and was pulled with surprising strength to his feet. Without a word to his savior, Malik reached to the ground and hoisted Ryou into the comfortable sanctuary of his arms. Lucky baka. _He _got to be carried. Malik started at the sudden spitefulness and looked around suspiciously for any waxy accessories.

"_Riku_!"

Malik's white-haired savior jerked his head up, sending tendrils of diamond whipping through a sudden breeze as he looked raptly through the many faces. After a moment with no luck, he turned to Malik and said, "You had better hurry. Your friends won't be able to hold them off for much longer."

Malik nodded and followed the agile boy's lead through the swarm, ducking periodically to avoid grasping hands and the like. _I fuck up _once_ and I'm branded for life!_ Malik thought with an edge of annoyance, kicking a random ankle for revenge.

Once they were through the barrier of people, the boy - Riku, Malik assumed - snagged a sharp hold of Malik's shoulder and twisted into a watery crevice between An'ya's and Eien's legs. A few - dozen - people sped by and Malik got a closer look at his savior.

"Thank you," he said breathlessly, shifting Ryou's weight awkwardly in his arms.

Riku regarded Malik curiously before smiling vaguely. "You're welcome," he replied simply.

"_Riku_!"

The ivory-haired boy who looked so like Ryou it was alarming (who knew Ryou wasn't the only teenager in the world with naturally white hair?) glanced up and groaned. "Sora," he muttered, mostly, Malik assumed, to himself. "I shouldn't have left him…."

Malik, genuinely curious, inquired, "Sora?"

Riku nodded, distracted by scouring the scattered teenagers outside for "Sora" (1). "He's never been to a club before. I thought I could…introduce…this kind of place to him while we're visiting my uncle. I'm hoping to undo the rest of his childish naivety." Grinning, Riku returned to his detailed search, though worry was apparent in his stunningly bright azure eyes.

Malik brushed an absent hand through Ryou's hair, commenting, "I know. I have the same problem with this one." He jostled Ryou's lifeless body gently as emphasis to whom he was teasing.

Riku tore his eyes from the outside and analyzed Ryou diligently. At length, he smiled in that vague way he seemed to be fond of and nodded his agreement. "He looks the type," he said thoughtfully.

"_Riku_! RIKU!"

Now biting his lip, Riku shifted his weight to his front arms, making the dullest of splashes as he rose to his feet. "I have to find him," he said to Malik, still staring into the quad. Glancing at the Egyptian and Ryou, he said, "It would be safer if you stayed here. But…you look capable of taking care of yourself."

Malik grinned, taking a liking and respect to the other boy, and nodded. "Yes. Thank you for your help."

Riku smiled and nodded, vanishing into the light to search for Sora.

Once the boy had left, Malik dipped his hand into the water at his feet and gently ran his damp palm over Ryou's forehead. "Ryou," he whispered, kissing his kojika's forehead, "wake up. Come on, least you can do after all that is open your eyes. …A kiss would be better though…."

In response, Ryou groaned and stretched haphazardly, accidentally whacking Malik across the face in the process. The Egyptian jerked back and winced. "Or you could hit me."

Groggily making his way to the surface of consciousness, Ryou mumbled, "Malik? What…." He groaned. "Never mind. I remembered."

Deciding this was one of those "Honey, we need to talk" moments of their relationship, Malik settled back against An'ya's hoof and said, "Honey, we need to talk."

Ryou's eyebrows lifted at the endearment at just about the same second Malik realized he'd used his sarcasm outside of his own mind. Coughing brusquely, the Egyptian amended, "Why did you pass out?"

Ryou recovered fairly slowly from his koibito's peculiarity in speech and returned the favor by shocking the pupils out of Malik's eyes with his answer.

Malik jerked back, almost forgetting Ryou was still half lying in the fountain and using his lap for an armrest. He gaped like a carp (2) at his beautiful koibito and cried, "He said _what_!?"

Reaching up to toy anxiously with Malik's hair, Ryou averted his eyes and replied softly, "That's what he told me. The spirit of the Sennen Rod is alive again. And not just alive. Human. Mortal, I mean."

"I think you could have stopped at the first 'alive', kichou," Malik teased, fighting to vanquish the panic building in his stomach. The spirit of the Sennen Rod back to haunt him. Inwardly, the Egyptian sighed loudly and desecrated a few mentally expensive objects. _Just_ when things were starting to grow normal. Well…all right, so dating a partly possessed member of the same sex and being periodically chased by rabid anti-Malik advocates wasn't exactly Webster's definition of "normal". …But who judges normality, anyway? Weird people in denial. Right? Of course right. (3)

Ryou shifted his weight against Malik's leg and as a result threw a few waves with his erratic movements. Just before Malik could warn his koibito that he was halfway to pneumonia by lying in the cold water, a dangerously close geyser beat him to it. Which is the back story several people pondered over later following the scream that echoed through the courtyard of Eien An'ya.

Standing rigid and thoroughly soaked from the tips of his hair to his sneakers, Ryou heaved in elusive breaths, eyes wider than was previously assumed possible for his face. If one were to dunk a Persian cat into a vat of water, it would have garnered the same result. Complete with hysterical laughter-stricken Egyptian. …Soon-to-be suffering Egyptian. (4)

__

THWACK.

"_Ow_! _What_!?"

**

Ryuuji and Jounouchi escaped from the bloodthirsty crowd as soon as Ryuuji saw someone guide Malik to safety. Now, like Ryou and said Egyptian, the Dungeon Dice creator and his koibito were waiting out the thunderous mob in a darkened passage. Namely under the curved and clawed foot of Eien.

The sable-haired teen was leaning against the ball of the dragon's foot, crossly repositioning his torn shirt. "Damned Malik," he grumbled. "Damned Kaiba. Damned world."

Jounouchi, peering clandestinely through giant claws, commented, "You including me in that?"

Ryuuji rolled his eyes and retorted, "Yes, Jou, you too."

"Figures." The blond shot a grin over his shoulder and said cheekily, "Well, if your fans were afraid of you before, they're going to be swamping you now." He lifted the torn fabric at Ryuuji's shoulder, revealing several inches of bronzed skin.

The younger boy made a face and returned to his futile mission, more to occupy his hands than to fix the rip. "Damned fans," he grumbled.

"I'm sure they love you, too."

"Hmph."

Grinning, Jounouchi returned to combing the lingering horde with narrowed amber eyes. He could understand the people's fury at Malik, but they were directing it at entirely the wrong party. If only they, like Jounouchi and his friends, knew of the spirit of the Rod and how he had manipulated Malik's mind to corruption, they wouldn't have such a fiery hating passion against the young Egyptian. If Jounouchi could deal with it, they could too. Hell, if Ryou could _date_ him, they could _at least_ tolerate him.

In the spirit of random interrogations (and following his reputation for unfounded timing), Jounouchi inquired lightly, "So why the attack on the dragon's slut?"

Ryuuji snickered at the slur and abandoned his shirt. The tear was sexy, even if it _did_ ruin one of his favorite outfits. "I made fun of the 'Sacred Lockets of the Brothers Kaiba'," the younger teen snickered together with finger-imitated quotation marks.

Jounouchi glanced over his shoulder, gaping in disbelief. "You didn't," he said flatly.

"I did," Ryuuji affirmed proudly, folding his arms over his chest in a manner that purely mocked said CEO.

"And you're still breathing?!"

Ryuuji smiled sweetly, leaning his elbows forward on his folded legs to rest his chin on the back of his hands. "Alive and well, suki (5)," he hummed melodically. Then with a teasing leer, Ryuuji said, "Care to test it?"

Jounouchi repressed a grin and cuffed the other's shoulder. "Don't be such a hentai (6)," he laughed. A moment's hesitation, then…. "Not in public, anyway," he amended.

"But public is the best place - "

Jounouchi's hand smothered the rest of Ryuuji's purred reply.

"Mmmff fmph!" Ryuuji protested with a hand-masked scowl.

With his free hand, Jounouchi slapped Ryuuji upside the head and in the same motion gestured frantically toward the silent courtyard a few meters away. Ryuuji followed his koibito's arm and the subsequent line it drew until his eyes met….

Holy shit, what _were_ those things?

Slinking through Eien An'ya's courtyard were legions of the ugliest black creatures either Jounouchi or Ryuuji had ever seen. They illustrated the worst stages of hideousness and silhouetted the bleakest of auras on the concrete buildings surrounding them. And prowling above the front lines was a dark Egyptian with an apocalyptic smirk.

Ryuuji, to help avoid the thrumming horror in his stomach, hummed the funeral march.

**

Malik drew his motorcycle to the curb a block away from Ryou's house, noting that if said boy's father caught his son not only out of bed but on a motorcycle with a previously dubbed hentai, cataclysmic incidences would follow for all parties involved. Plus, Ryou was nearly asleep; his grip around Malik's chest was dangerously loose.

From his vantage point, Malik could make out the absolute blackness emanating from his kichou's house. Well, at least _one _thing had gone right tonight. So much for instituting Ryou's nightclub education. Not even a dance in Eien to go away with. Or a make out session in the folds of An'ya's wings. Oh, well. Vacation wasn't over yet.

Malik turned his head to wake Ryou only to find that his kojika had pressed his forehead into his shoulder and was now dozing lightly, breathing softly against Malik's neck. The Egyptian smiled and resisted the urge to start singing, "My koibito's a live tenshi chibi! My koibito's a live tenshi chibi!"

Settling for a kiss to his saiai's fringe-tapered forehead, Malik whispered, "Wake up, koi, we're here. You've been asleep longer than you've been awake tonight, you know." He paused, receiving no reaction at all from the stationary tenshi leaning into his back rapturously. "Ryou, _you're home_!"

"I know," a sleepy voice answered. The arms around his chest tightened possessively.

Reddening slightly, Malik cleared his throat sharply. "No, not…. I mean _your_ home. House. Uh…you know, parents? Jacuzzi?"

Ryou's head shot up at the mention of the Jacuzzi. Now fully awake, said teen yelped, "Jacuzzi?! What?!"

Smirking, Malik replied with sarcastic innocuousness, "You planning on going inside or do I have to get your father to come out here?"

Ryou pouted vaguely and nestled his face into the Egyptian's neck, murmuring, "Hanarenai (7)," in a subdued voice.

Now fighting an all-out mortified blush, Malik whined maturely, "Ryou, y-you have to. Unless you want your father chasing you down the street with one of those ancient Egyptian swords he keeps in his study…." He shuddered at the memory. On his way out of the basement he'd had a flashback of those blades. Or more specifically, those blades halfway through his abdomen. It made him more than a little green to think of voluntary acupuncture after that.

"Can't I stay with you tonight?" Ryou's stifled voice asked quietly. "I'll go home in the morning; I promise." As if to seal the pledge, the younger boy squeezed his arms around Malik's torso sleepily.

Well, who in any mind could refuse Ryou? Especially a drowsy Ryou with judgment so poor he couldn't yet pry his eyes open long enough to realize it was nearly past dawn.

Making up his mind in a severed fraction of a second, Malik revved the bike's engine and tore down the street, grinning as he felt Ryou smile against his neck. _Whipped_? Malik thought. _Eh. It's not that bad_.

**

The former spirit of the Sennen Rod roved the dawn-lit streets of downtown Osaka, relishing in the feel of wind on his face and through his hair. So long since he'd felt anything like this…so long since he'd felt the sun. Funny that the rise of the sun had always been his favorite heavenly transition. Sunset was clichéd and the rise of the moon wasn't all that exciting. Sunrise, though…sunrise was symbolic.

Plus, it had red in it. And red was good. Red was gory. The spirit of the Sennen Rod liked gore. Thus he liked red. And sunrises.

When the ex-Rod's spirit had first stumbled upon his new minions, he had still been ensnared in the mordant fangs of the Shadow Realm (a summer getaway it was not). They called themselves the Heartless, he learned, and had been destroyed by a handful of children not so many years before. Now, apparently, they desired revenge on the traitorous white-haired teenager and the spry brunet that had ruined them.

Viewing possibility in these mindless creatures, the spirit had organized a deal with these fairly stupid fiends. He told them he knew the whereabouts of the white-haired one (even if the spirit had _known _it wasn't Ryou they were after, it probably wouldn't have mattered), but that tracking down the brunet would be a little more difficult. The fiends would aid the spirit in his bidding and the spirit would bestow upon them Shadow Powers and the two boys they wished to macerate. And as soon as the spirit of the Ring had been properly manipulated into releasing him, the Rod's former guardian had his initial tools for world domin - wait, wrong plan…. What _was_ the spirit supposed to be doing, anyway?

Other than having no idea what they were to do for the Egyptian spirit, life was good amongst the Heartless and their new similarly merciless ruler.

Suddenly, a new object hurtled itself into the spirit's path, but before the Egyptian could sigh with annoyance and banish its soul to the Shadow Realm, it rasped, "I have come upon the white-haired bishie boy! I have come upon the bishie!" in the voice the spirit had gifted to all the Heartless, guttural and hoarse.

The dark Egyptian lifted an arm and halted the hordes behind him with a quick scissor stroke of his hand. "His condition?" he asked quietly.

The demon pulled webbed hands up to its chest and began scratching the backs with ebony needle-like claws. "It is alive, Master, it _is _alive. But it is wounded, Master. Wounded. It is wounded."

Cutting into a growled sigh, the spirit questioned, "Did you follow where he went?"

The scratching paused. "Ehm - no. No, Master, I did not. Not all the way. The way. Way not all. Saw him leave Taki Hi. Taki. Taki. TakiTakiTakiTakiTakiTaki. Was with another child. Chiii…ld. Luh. Duh. Ch…ch…eye…luh…duh. Cheyeluhduh!"

The spirit massaged his temples. He was beginning to wonder if giving speech to these idiots was really necessary. They enjoyed speaking too much to be of much threat. Oh, well. The spirit's goal this time around was of a more trivial nature, but not at all easier to claim. It wouldn't matter if the Heartless could talk if they could fight. And with Shadow Powers, even the most adorable of babies is terrifying.

"I return back to the front lines, Master. Mah. Star. Meh. Star. Meh…mah…my…. My star! I am hungry, my star, hungry. I am hungry."

"You may find food in the city," said the spirit dismissively, beginning the walk again. My star? …Drooling, mindless…. Hm. Stars were made of gas. Gas burned. Burns crack. And wounds spill blood. Blood. Red…sunrises….

The demon spurted joyously and scampered off to scour out an innocent heart to consume.

And people called the yamis strange for enjoying blood.

**

Malik awoke the following morning (or afternoon, judging by one's opinion of two o'clock) with a tiny panging ache in his arm. In fact, it was a fairly large ache, now that he had gained enough consciousness to feel correctly. _OW! _Shit! Big pain! Giza pyramid pain!

Oh. That's why. Ryou had made a rather comfortable bed out of Malik's chest and was using the Egyptian's collarbone as a pillow…but that didn't explain the pain in his arm. _OUCH_. Oh. Ryou's Ring. And with the Sennen Item crushing into Malik's still-present gauntlets, the Egyptian was moderately certain he wouldn't have any arm left to amputate soon.

It took a few minutes for Malik to work out why they were sprawled on the couch, let alone fully clothed. Then it broke through his sleep-hazed memory. Ryou had come down with a fleeting virus due to the unscheduled meeting with Eien An'ya's fountain jets and the motorcycle ride that followed. In truth, Malik held himself responsible, but Ryou had been adamant in defending him - through fits of sneezes and with a voice so nasal he'd given up trying to argue after Malik fell off of the couch laughing at him.

Despite the touch of annoyance he felt afterward toward his koibito for pissing him off, Ryou allowed Malik to compensate. Naturally, that task removed the want for sleep for a few hours and clocked them both with identical wallops of fatigue. And now they were paying for it - or, at least, Malik was.

__

Agh! I have to get him off. He's sweet and I love him but if he doesn't get off in ten seconds I'm going to push_ him off._

From his unperturbed station on Malik's chest, Ryou drank in sound breaths through his koi's sweatshirt. His line of thought ran a little shallower than Malik's.

__

Ugh. The sun's in my eyes….

This inspired Ryou to turn his head away from the sunlight, thus jerking the Ring deeper into Malik's arm.

"_Aghh_, that's it!"

Tearing out a startled yelp, Ryou was eradicated from his position of luxury and hit the floor flat on his back. The sunlight tickled his face mockingly. He groaned, "What was _that_ for?"

Malik turned onto his side lazily, massaging his sore arm. "For unconsciously trying to impale me with a should-be rusted, circular, golden sewer pipe."

Ryou grimaced against the menacing sunlight. Shielding his eyes with the knife of his hand, he deadpanned, "I appreciate the visual. Don't make me list what _yours_ looked like."

Malik's eyebrows vanished underneath the tassel of golden fringe. "Are you _always_ this cranky or am I exclusively privy?"

"You get exclusive privileges to everything else," grumbled the younger boy, rubbing his back cringingly.

Before Ryou could even move to sit up, however, he was trapped to the floor by an unrelenting force. Well. _Hello_, Malik.

The Egyptian kissed his koibito promptly and teased, "_Almost_ everything else." He emphasized this point by crossing his arms over Ryou's collarbone and leaning seductively close to the other boy's lips.

Ryou blushed fiercely and stammered, "Y-you…I - _Malik_!"

"Yes?"

"Get off!"

Malik sulked visibly. "Why?"

"Because I can't breathe!"

The pressure on his chest lessened immediately, the Egyptian's petulance vanishing in favor of concern. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly.

Which garnered a sharp belt upside the head from Ryou. "First you get me sick, then you break my back and _now_ you're trying to suffocate me! No wonder you stay with me! Anybody else would kill you!"

"…Aishiteru (8)?"

Ryou rolled his eyes. "You're scandalously lucky I'm too tired to hurt you."

"You already did," sniffed the Egyptian, clutching at his chest dramatically.

Ryou leveled him with a sarcastic look.

"…You're not a morning person, are you, tenshi?"

__

THWACK.

Malik shielded his head from further attack and whined exaggeratedly. "Agh! Twice in less than twelve hours! You'd think _I _did something!"

"…Shut up, saiai."

**

After Malik dropped him off a block from his house, Ryou snuck into the backyard and scaled the drainpipe. All the while he prayed under his breath to any god from any religion that no one caught him this time. He may have successfully ran away, but Fate didn't often let him get away with being childishly nefarious. Fate was a little exclusive in her good graces. Damned elitist.

The first thing Ryou did after climbing into his room was remove the Ring from his neck. He was absolutely sick of the Sennen Items and the calamity they wrought into their holders' lives. Nothing against his own spirit, but if the Sennen guardians had _their _way, the world would be a wrinkled black crisp while their immortal souls soaked up the aftereffects of their total destruction. …Now that he thought about it, Ryou concluded that as weird and sadistic as the spirits were, they were no better than Fate. Elitists; all elitists!

Grumbling, Ryou stashed the Ring in the lowest drawer of his bureau, glad to be rid of it. Maybe if he ignored it long enough, the spirit inside would grow so angry the thing would just melt. That could be nice…if Ryou's school uniform hadn't been in that drawer. …School was elitist, too. He didn't know exactly _why_ yet, but it seemed to be the insult du jour.

Ryou changed swiftly and lifted a comb from his bedside to impatiently tease the snarls from his hair. Damned elitist motorcycle.

Suddenly, he heard voices in the hall outside. Or at least he _hoped _they were outside. The last thing he needed was another voice inside his head.

"You didn't tell me you were hurt!"

"You expect me to?"

"Not anymore, I don't. Let me see."

"It's fine, bijin (9)."

"No, it's - _Riku_!"

__

"Sora, get off."

"What did that?!"

"A Heartless."

"When?!"

"…When…I was looking for you. I ran into a dozen or so of those things. But never mind."

"No, what happened?"

A sigh. "It's not important."

"Then tell me."

"You're not easily dissuaded, you know that? It's just…. They're not average Heartless. They're…indestructible. One alone nearly killed me."

"_You_?"

"Yeah. Something's different about them, Sora. I couldn't get a single hit off any of them."

"But…how?"

"…I don't know. Steroids?"

"Funny. Riku, you twit, you're bleeding."

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

"'Oh, yeah?' That's your big reaction?"

"Pretty much. Why? Screaming work better for you?"

"Not at the moment…."

A chuckle. "You're such a closet hentai, bijin."

"You never complain."

"I don't, do I?"

"C'mon, we need to stop the bleeding before you get anemia or something."

Stillness once again reigned the hallway, the only distant sound being footsteps descending the stairs. Ryou towed his door open a crack and scoured the hallway. There was a suspicious crimson stain on the carpet. …That would be _Hell_ to clean…. Ryou wrinkled his nose. Not even six months together and already he was getting neurotic about tidiness. Damned elitist Malik.

__

Overview: I've dated Malik too long, the Ring spirit remains unbalanced, there are two anonymous people in my house that are neither my father nor poltergeists, the spirit of the Sennen Rod is human and scores of monsters called the 'Heartless' are tormenting the city. Well, isn't this a tidy Thriller _meets _The Mummy_? I should have just stayed in the Jacuzzi._

Sighing at his poor judgment, Ryou silently stole down the staircase. _Won't trip - won't make noise - won't sneeze - won't cough - won't…. Oh. Floor. Niiice floor. _Pausing just outside the living room, Ryou glimpsed the sources of the previous conversation.

One, a boy with feathered ivory hair, sat on the couch, leaning his arms forward on his thighs. He was patiently biting his tongue while another, a young-looking brunet kneeling on the floor, cleaned the stream of scarlet coming from his saiai's shoulder with an already steeped cloth.

Ryou watched as the white-haired teen winced harshly and said sarcastically, "You know, if you doused my arm in kerosene you could set it on fire?" A hiss. "It would hurt less," he grumbled, his surreally bright aqua eyes looking desperate to wrench his arm out of the smaller boy's grasp.

The brunet merely smirked and continued daubing his koibito's shoulder with a cloth supposedly soaked in the alcohol sitting beside the brunet's feet. "Don't tempt me," he threatened impishly, grinning.

The other rolled his eyes flagrantly and strained to keep his arm from jolting.

"Ryou! You're finally awake!"

Throwing out a yelp through his lips, Ryou jumped and spun around in panic. _Uh oh! Father! Be calm, Ryou - scratch that. Going onto plan B…. …Didn't plan that far ahead. Um…pretend to be invisible…pretend to be invisible…._

"Ryou?"

__

Okay…plan C anybody?

His father stood in the kitchen doorway, smiling tensely at his son. Ryou restrained himself from blushing. Great. Now whenever his father looked at him, it would be with that expression of discomfort and uncertainty. All for making out in a Jacuzzi. With his boyfriend. All right, so he didn't exactly have the right of way this time, but it still humiliated him to be scrutinized that way. It wasn't like he scratched the basin or anything.

A noise in the living room drew both Ryou's and his father's eyes to the two boys Ryou had never met before. The white-haired teen and the brunet were both gazing curiously at him. For his part, Ryou's father recovered his social graces and stepped up behind Ryou, hesitantly dropping his hand on his son's shoulder. "Sora, Riku, this is my son, Ryou. Ryou, Riku and Sora."

The brunet, who his father had pointed out as Sora, smiled and nodded amicably. Riku merely tilted his head to the side, his vivid sapphire eyes examining the younger boy with an inquiring grin, as though he knew something Ryou did not. _Well, gee, what else is new?_

"Ryou," said his father edgily, "Riku and Sora just arrived this morning." When this garnered no reaction, he added, "Riku is your mother's nephew."

Ryou started in astonishment, but Riku merely smiled smugly, his assumptions certified. For his part, Sora gazed between Riku and Ryou quickly and laughed, "Riku, you idiot. Say something!"

Riku cast a wry grin at his newly confirmed cousin and asked, "Bet you've never seen a Keyblade (10) before, hm?"

Apparently at some inside joke, Sora and Riku burst into tolls of laughter. Ryou stared, raising an eyebrow at his father. Said adult shrugged with a warm smile. Apparently, he was fond of his wife's nephew. Oh, lovely. Competition.

When their laughter melted away, Riku and Sora exchanged a fleeting smile. It wasn't held or doting, but it was affectionate enough to send off warning bells in Ryou's head. So they _were _dating. Probably concealing their relationship from the public eye - which unquestionably included Ryou and his father. They were following Malik and Ryou's former plan of action. Ryou would have to warn them later that the Jacuzzi was cursed and haunted.

After all, he could only pity his father now that he gave more thought to the situation. If Ryou _ever_ walked in on his father in that condition, he would burn his eyes out and drench his tongue in arsenic. His father…with a woman…with _anyone_. Eeeeeeeeugh!

While Ryou mentally twitched, the flap of Riku's pack fluttered open in the breeze the air conditioner offered. And there in the middle compartment swooned a smooth vanilla candle, whose internal cry of "_kawaii!_ _shounen-ai! _(11)" left no doubt that the entire Bakura family tree, not just the Jacuzzi, was cursed.

To be Continued…

1 - Hehe, if you haven't guessed by now or haven't played the game, Sora and Riku are from the PS2 game _Kingdom Hearts_. Riku, I believe, is unjustly beautiful and looks surprisingly like Ryou. That's a matter of opinion, though. =) (The links didn't work in the preview, so just eliminate the spaces you see.) 

http:// kaldea.org /riku/ gallery/official/17.jpg. That's Riku *swoon* and this:

http:// www.rpgdreamer.com/ rpgworld/ kh/kh-97.jpg is Sora. *Sigh* Aren't they beautiful? (Hehe, open them into separate windows and put them next to each other - isn't that adorable?)

2 - That was for Pepper Breath, hehe!

3 - _Fiddler on the Roof _reference. =) I'll give you a hint…. _Ever since my husband died, I've been a poor widow. No one to talk to, nothing to say to anybody…_. *Giggle* I love Yente.

4 - Based on a true story. Not mine, though. *Clears throat*

5 - Suki (love)

6 - Hentai (pervert)

7 - Hanarenai (I can't leave you)

8 - Aishiteru (I love you)

9 - Bijin (beautiful one)

10 - Keyblade - a weapon in _Kingdom Hearts_. More information on that in future chapters.

11 - Kawaii (cute) shounen-ai (boy love)

Yes, yes, I know Ryou and Riku aren't **really** related, but it was just screaming to be done. After all, neither Ryou nor Riku have clear backgrounds and gorgeous that surreal just _can't _be random. Not in my world, anyway, hehe.

And now for the eternal replies and much-deserved arigatous! I'm glad a few of you asked for them to be kept on. I enjoy writing back to you guys. =)

****

Curunir Elentare Taranimgul - Ooh! A guy reviewer! *Hug!* I don't think I've had one of those in a while…. Nope, not in a while. I _love_ the Elvish! I'm an Elvish fanatic. And *cough* and Elf fanatic. Not that I've got a specific favorite *coLEGOLASugh* or anything. Eep! Every day? *Blush* Don't I feel loved?! =D Aww, I love reviewers! **Taito-kisses** - Aww, thanks, sweetie! =) Bitch fights are the best aren't they? Especially between guys…. I didn't mean to make Seto seem like such a jerk though…. *Shrug* Oh, well. And I read your profile (hehe, sorry, I like to read about my reviewers when I get signed reviews) - I thought I was the only weirdo in the world who is _convinced_ that Sheik is a guy. There is _no way_ that was Zelda! *Sigh* But Link/Sheik is adorable, is it not? **Shinemegami** - Thanks! =) I know, Ryou and Malik are just…precious. *Sigh* For lack of a better *coDOZENugh* word(s). Hehe! **Kurayami Ryuu **- Lordy! *Blushes vivid red and ducks under the couch* You're too kind! Aww, I swear, I started giggling like a maniac when I read your review. *Smile* Of course you can have a Ryou Goes Bambi Plushie (™ Trei)! *Hands over plushie* Oh, and because you made me blush…which rarely happens…*hands over Malik Survived Maiming Plushie (™ Trei)* **Chibi da Special Ed Reject **- Hehe! You know you're the second reviewer to suggest the candle get some action? I can't promise it, but hey, I'll try. =) **Reen** - Aww, sweetie, you're too kind! I'm glad you like it so much! Expect to see more of the Sea Horse though…. Beautiful like Seto Kaiba doesn't die. Just like Yami no Bakura. Hehe. **lupus dragon **- Gomen nasai about the chapters *sheepish look*. See, what happened was I updated three, and I have one of those touch pads, so when I went to click on okay, I guess I switched chapters two and one around. *Squeak* Sorry! Glad you liked the candle. Hehe! It's getting _really_ popular…. **Youko Duet** - *Dazed grin* Hon…you are an author's dream. That was a _long_ review! Have I mentioned I love you? I love you! *Grin* Hehe, you definitely know how to make a girl feel loved! I'm _so_ glad I'm pulling IC off. Oh, it's the same with me and ice skating. Except I have a tendency to get yelled at. See, I skate perfectly well (albeit like a speed demon - nothing's worth doing if you don't do it all out, I say, hehe) and then I get shouted at by people to slow down. *Sheepish look* Well, sorry, man, but if you're going to skate that slow, then get one of those crates! It wasn't good when I stuck my tongue out at him though…. That wasn't exactly my greatest performance of maturity. *Cough* Hehe. Oh, yes, the candle _will_ come back. *Grin* Eep! Queen of IC?! *Faints* I never thought I'd get so much attention for this! Yike! =D You're totally making my week here, by the way. Hehe! **Malik'sgurl** - *Turns as red as Ryou's hair is white* Jesus, people! You're being too nice! *Ducks under couch again* I've never blushed this much in my life! And yes, you little manipulator ;) it worked this time as well. **ShannonL - **Hehe! Seto's a sweetie. He just has too much of a block against social tendencies to show it as freely as say, Yugi, does. The second reformer was Jou, lol. Faking a tearful fit to get out a fight with Ryuuji isn't in the Yugi no Sweetness Handbook. ;) Sorry if I didn't make that clear. =) Gomen! Isn't Orli absolutely _stunning_? And Johnny! "Don't think I deserved that…*SLAP* May have deserved that." Hehehe! **Kiirar** - Dear me, kill Malik? *Wink* Wouldn't think of it. Hehehe! Aww, glad you liked Yami no Bakura! A lot tend to find him frightening like that…I think it's funny. *Giggle* And yes, the candle _will_ return. Hey, it's got unfinished business with the hot tub. Hehe! **Hana no Ceres** - Tarot cards?! Oh, God, I love tarot! Actually, I don't pretend to be Gifted or anything (*sigh* Last Mage…Tylendel…*sob*), but I just found my brother's old deck when we moved and now I'm into tarot. The first reading I did on myself the future card told me I'd have a horrible grievance in the future. I was like, "Oh, gee, thanks for the heads up, you stupid piece of inky paper." *Grin* It's not fair! My mom and dad got awesome readings when I did them, but _nooo_, Trei has to get the doom and gloom. *Sulk* Stupid deck. *Sticks tongue out at stationary desk on her vanity* Includes?! My Lord, I love Ryuuji! Who doesn't?! *Hugs Ryuuji* But I know what you mean. He's often overlooked. *Sniff* Hehe! I don't think I deserve any credit for replying to you guys. After all, you're who I write for. It's the light of my day when I get reviews as wonderful as the ones I'm getting now. You're the ones to be acknowledged, not me. =) **ChaosEnd **- Orli _is _gorgeous. *Sigh* It's coming out in the summer. In June. *Sigh* I don't mind it either way. Elf, Brit, American soldier…. He's gorgeous all ways! =D **The demon Rain** - Gomen! =) I'll try to keep the endings a little nicer. Though at least no one's life is in danger, ne? …Well, not really, anyway. Hehe. **hotaruchan27 **- LOL! Sorry, Yami no Bakura's not after Ryou. He was _warning_ Ryou. In his own…dementedly perverse way. ;) I'm not a rabid fan of "Yami no Bakura tortures his hikari" stories. *Shrug* He cuts himself in the manga, but I don't think he does it to hurt Ryou. I just think he's insane and wants to hurt himself, which could be a deeper psychological sign of…right, I'll stop now…. *Grin* Sorry, I'm always analyzing him. **Pepper Breath** - I know what you mean about the friendship rants. Hehe! I go through physical pain whenever I hear Jou do it. The sister thing is cute, Jou, but not for _every duel_. Not to mention his obsession with informing the world he won second in the Duelist Kingdom Tournament. I had no idea, did you? *Grins and rolls eyes* Oh, Jou. What can we do with you? Malik's a vegetarian…. I swear to you, when I read that a few months ago, I went absolutely berserk. I mean, _come on_! Ryou I could understand, but _Malik_? Dear Lord…hehe. Feed the Psycho! **Shenya** - I'm glad you stumbled on my fic, hehe. You wrote "Not the nicest Guy", ne? I've read the reviews, but I don't want to read it until I know what happens (I have no patience, hehe). I have a very low threshold for waiting. =) Anyway, don't worry about rambling. Hehe. It's not that bad. After all…. Look at my review responses!

. Okay, that is officially the longest collection of notes I've ever written. Eep? I knew I was a chatterbox, but jeez, this just makes me look chronic. Hehe. I'm _so_ sorry for making this so long. *Sheepish look* Oh, and don't worry if you've never played Kingdom Hearts before. I'll make sure no one gets lost with the plot. You don't have to have played Kingdom Hearts to understand the rest of the story. Promise. ^.^


	5. Koneko no Youkai

Naming the Flame

Trei

Chapter Five

****

--Warning: Lemon next chapter! ;) See bottom for details. Longest chapter yet! Around eighteen pages…. Whoo!--

--**DISCLAIMER**: Sora and Riku are **_NOT_** my characters. They belong to Squaresoft and the creators of _Kingdom Hearts_. There will be **no** original characters taking over any part other than supporting role. Unless you count the speech impeded Heartless I was making fun of before…. =) Otherwise, the only things mine here are Taki Hi, Eien An'ya, Isis' kitten (cameo in this chapter), Ryou's sweatshirt and the plot to the story. Enjoy!--

Sometime following noon's twelfth call, Ryou closed the gap between his room and the bathroom. It was a little daunting at first, but he finally managed to assess his appearance in the mirror. In the harsh light bellowing from the ceiling fan's green-shaded lamps, his hair looked like a reincarnation of Swamp Thing. And he'd thought the spirits had bizarre hair tendencies. Heh. Ryou Bakura, meet Swamp Thing, the creature who will share your head for the next few minutes.

While he pulled and yanked tenacious knots from his hair, Ryou considered his week so far. Monday, worked on homework for vacation - finished in two hours (all three subjects). Tuesday, went out with Malik, got caught by his father while making out with said Egyptian in the Jacuzzi, witnessed a catfight between Kaiba and Otogi, was warned by his sacred artifact's guardian spirit of terrible danger and was assaulted by a demon geyser. Wednesday morning, woke up on the floor in pain, was temporarily blinded by sunlight, met mother's darling and beloved nephew and his surreptitious koibito. Now Thursday, Ryou wasn't exactly hoping for any normality. The most he could hope for was breakfast before anything _else _decided to toy with his remaining sanity.

Ducking into jeans and his mother's old black Cambridge University (1) sweatshirt, Ryou left his hair in the same jagged mess (2) it was always in and descended the stairs. While passing through the hallway, the teen frowned adorably and tugged the long sleeves. The sweatshirt was a long way from its former glory, but it maintained most of the letters of the British college and was only tatty around the hems circling his narrow waist. And though he liked it for its ample comfort, if he'd known how endearingly and innocently juvenile he looked while wearing it, he wouldn't have worn it downstairs that morning.

While rubbing specks of sleep from his eye with a loose fist, Ryou crossed the threshold between hallway and kitchen. It was there he stopped, halted in his tracks by the unexpected presence he came upon. Sora was comfortably seated on the surface of the kitchen's mahogany island, intently watching the microwave rotate what Ryou could barely discern as a Poptart. …Didn't you use a toaster for things like that?

The floor underneath Ryou's feet creaked as he continued warily into the room. Sora looked up in surprise, snapping rapt eyes to meet Ryou's startled pair. After a second of examination, the brunet smiled gleefully and chirped, "Good morning!" Then, as an afterthought, he glimpsed the clock and amended, "Well, now it's more like afternoon."

Ryou nodded and lightly jumped onto one of the stools near the island, perching the heels of his hands on the front. He peered at Sora blankly through platinum-veined locks.

The other boy, undaunted, turned to face his koibito's cousin more fully, saying in a cheerful tone, "You and Riku _couldn't_ be related any closer than cousins. He's _always_ up hours before I even have the drive to get up. You're more like me. I can't wake up any earlier than noon in the summer. It just defeats the whole purpose of vacation."

Again, Ryou nodded, his eyes drifting to the attached dining room, noting the absence of his cousin. "Where _is_ Riku, anyway?" he asked quietly.

Sora shrugged with far too much energy, hopping from the island and retrieving his breakfast pastry from the microwave. "Probably exploring your neighborhood." He smiled as he broke the Poptart in half, revealing a spread of strawberry sugar glop. Yeah, this was definitely Ryou's kitchen. "He's obsessed with seeing new places. It was all he'd talk about back on Destiny Island."

Though mostly indifferent towards his cousin and the brunet, Ryou found himself asking, "Is that your home?"

Sora smiled sadly. "Was. We haven't been back there in a while. Riku doesn't really want to go back."

"Do you?"

"Sometimes." Sora shrugged again and bit into the Poptart, his tense expression vanishing as soon as the berry syrup touched his lips. In a vastly more carefree voice, he said around the jelly, "You and Riku should spend some time together. I know he's always been curious about his father's side of the family. I think that's what your father said…your mother and his father were sister and brother, right?"

Ryou nodded absently.

Sora tilted his head curiously. "You don't talk much," he observed harmlessly.

__

I do when Malik's trying to get my shirt off. Stifling a snicker at that, Ryou replied out loud, "I'm sorry. I'm not much for big conversation first thing after I wake up." He yawned to stress this.

Sora nodded sympathetically, reclaiming his former position on the island. "So what's there to do for fun around here?" he asked.

__

Depends where you go, thought the tired boy with an inward grin. "There's plenty. But it depends on what you want to do. Way to waste time, hang out for a while…. Sightsee?"

Sora shook his head, grinning. "With a tour guide? Not us. Riku and I like finding out things for ourselves. Besides, if you mention the location of any metropolis larger than Domino to him, neither of us'll see Riku again until we leave." He finished off the Poptart with satisfied smacking of his jam-dabbled fingertips.

"Mmm!" the brunet purred. "What _are_ those things?"

Ryou repressed an amused smile and said, "They're Poptarts. Didn't you have any where you come from?"

"Never!" The little flame of adoration in Sora's eyes tattled on the brunet to Ryou - Riku had competition…with a breakfast pastry.

Ryou's developing amusement at his cousin's koibito was cut short by a sudden shrieking noise in the corner. Ryou winced. Some phones have nice, melodious pealing rings…like bells. Some phones have short electronic reverberating coos. The Bakuras' phone sounded like a tone-deaf parakeet in the middle of a Mariah Carey karaoke.

Sora seemed to think along the same lines and quickly retrieved the phone, thrusting it in Ryou's face with a grimace.

Grinning apologetically, Ryou wrapped the cord around the bottom of the tabletop and nestled the phone to his ear. "Moshi moshi?" (3)

"Konnichiwa (4), tenshi," a smug voice purred. "Sleep well without me?"

Rolling his eyes with mock exasperation, Ryou answered flatly, "Konnichiwa. Could you speak a little louder next time or shall I immediately put you on speakerphone?"

Malik laughed, a sound that lifted the teasing annoyance from Ryou's face, replacing it with a fond sort of smile. "I just saw your father's car pass an hour ago," the Egyptian said, smiling through the distance between them. "He's off on one of his sand ventures?"

"Hai (5). He said he'd be back in September."

"Before or after your birthday?"

"I didn't ask. He came into my room when he thought I was still asleep and told me he was going. Seemed eager to get out of here."

"Away from you? The man's insane. Anyway, Isis is supposed to be back from Egypt today. I was wondering…. Em…."

Ryou couldn't stop the smile that heightened his already childishly adorable expression. "What is it, kichou?"

"She asked me to pick up Tabibito (6) from the kennel," the Egyptian muttered darkly.

At the disgusted tone his koibito used in reference to his older sister's beloved calico kitten, Ryou laughed with abundant amusement. Tabibito and Malik were vicious enemies, separated mostly by their vehement stubbornness. The kitten had followed Isis home from the museum one night and by morning, had earned an everlasting soft spot in the elder Ishtar's heart and the spare set of keys to Malik's motorcycle (which were yet to be found). The mischievous kitten now thought of Malik as a pushover, since the blond wouldn't dare retaliate to the antics of his sister's kitten without fear of severe pummeling. Older sisters. Ugh.

"Stop laughing at me!" Malik growled. He sounded vaguely put off, almost sulky.

Ryou bit his lip with intent and chuckled, "I'm sorry, kichou. Do you want me to come?"

"_Please_! It likes you!"

Ryou rolled his eyes fondly. Tabibito was just about the warmest kitten in Japan. He only disliked Malik's sour attitude toward him. If Malik could be act a little less Jack Nicholson (7) toward the poor calico, they may actually get along. "All right," he said patiently. "When should I come over?"

"I'll pick you up. Right after I find a chain to keep my keys on…."

With a grin, Ryou teased, "I don't think Tabibito's going to try the same trick on you twice, saiai."

"Even so, I don't trust that splotchy furball. Did I tell you it tried to bite my ear off last week?"

"Twice."

"It's a menace."

"Yes, koi."

"…You're grinning."

Ryou covered his tattletale mouth and giggled, "I'm not!"

"Baka no furball…. I'll be by in fifteen minutes, all right?"

"Hehe, chotto ja (8)."

"Aishiteru."

"Itsumo (9)." Ryou crossed the kitchen with a warm smile, draping the phone on its hook in a wistful manner. Was Malik only asking him to come so he would have an excuse to be around his ivory-haired kojika? Probably. Malik had yet to learn the tact of dating. …Or tact of any kind, come to think about it.

From his perch on the island, Sora grinned, "Who was that?"

Ryou jolted, having conveniently forgotten there was another presence in the room. …_No wonder we were discovered_, he berated himself mentally. _How more obvious could I be?_ Caught, Ryou answered uneasily, "Um…a friend…."

High-pitched giggling erupted in the depths of Ryou's mind, followed hastily by nonsensical strings of ancient Egyptian. _ANUKTET!? Amunikin kepsu kut nekentut siijek tekawep?! …Beket kab'ni setitet…. (10)_

Which, if Ryou translated the spirit's half-depraved, half-hysterical tone correctly, probably meant, "Friend?! Such things play the role of malnourished sex kitten?! …I should get one…." Which, if Ryou wanted to maintain _any_ of his remaining normality, would _not_ be happening.

"A friend, huh?" grinned Sora, drawing Ryou quite willingly back to reality. "Sounds like a pretty close friend to me…."

Ryou, vaguely defensive and a little nervous, replied softly, "Like you and my cousin?" with a few traces of a grin.

Sora wasn't expecting that. Or at least, that's what Ryou assumed after a resounding _THUD_ filled the kitchen. From the floor, Sora stared up at his koibito's cousin in shock, one hand nursing the ache in his rear quarters….

Ryou's grin widened. Now he understood Malik's fondness of besting people. It was fun in a reckless sort of way…. _Definitely_ dating Malik too long….

"You…how did you…?" The poor brunet seemed to sink into the floor, turning beetroot crimson.

Taking pity on Sora, Ryou smiled, "I heard you and Riku upstairs last night."

If possible, which it seemed so now, the red in Sora's face tripled in darkness.

Ryou wondered for a moment why Sora was blushing. Then…oh. _Oh_…. OH! "I meant I heard your conversation about the Heartless!" he exclaimed quickly. Agh, Sora and his cousin and…aaaagh! His _cousin_!

Sora's face faltered in mortification, dipping straight into relief. "Oh…umm…so did I."

Agh! His _cousin_!

**

"You'll give him a heart attack!"

"Oh, come on, Ryou. He's not a cat; he's a demon menace come to reap the benefits of world hunger, pain and the eventual destruction of mankind. A little air will do him good."

Pointedly, Ryou retorted, "He's a kitten, Malik. He's not even four months old and you're going to strap him on the back of a motorcycle for thirty minutes?"

"He's _not_ a kitten. He's a _menace_!"

Ryou's expression held no restraint, only pure sarcasm. "Yes, Malik, his sole activity in the kennel was plotting against you. And as soon as you let him out of his cage, he'll tear your face off with those terrifying centimeter-long claws."

Malik made a face, folding his arms over his chest with a potent air of obstinacy. "Isis left the twerp at the kennel for a reason, kojika," he said, leaning on his motorcycle and resting his arm on the pet carrier strapped to the back.

"Yes, she did," said Ryou with an exasperated look. "So you wouldn't try to pull an all-out assassination on her kitten."

"She likes that cat more than she does her own brother," sulked Malik under his breath.

Smiling, Ryou pushed an adamant lock of gold from Malik's petulant features. The Egyptian turned lilac eyes from the concrete, pouting vaguely. "You're not jealous of Tabibito, are you?" smiled Ryou.

"_Jealous_!?" shrieked Malik. "Of that hairball!?"

Ryou nodded.

"…Yes, now get on."

This, however, was far too rich a situation to ignore and let pass by. Thus, Ryou crumbled into fits of giggles. "You can't be serious, kichou!"

Malik made a face of strong annoyance and climbed deftly atop his bike. There he waited semi-patiently while Ryou emptied the entire contents of his amusement at his koibito's expense. Malik drummed his fingertips on his folded arms, striving to remain pissed while listening to the endearing sounds of Ryou's laughter. Now…why did he date the adorable one? Oh, right; everyone else thought he was psychotic. Elitists. Hmph.

"Ryou," he finally growled, "it's not funny."

No reaction.

"Fine, then, I'll leave you here with your hentai cousin and his koibito," the Egyptian threatened, revving the engine forebodingly.

A halved second later, he heard all sounds of laughter entirely diminished to nothing and felt Ryou behind him, his arms latched around his chest. Malik smirked. Oh, the power of abandonment.

The kennel was, in reality, only fifteen minutes away. But the ride was more than a little hectic with Malik driving, though Ryou suspected the Egyptian of being a twinge more careful with his ivory-haired koibito at risk. He wasn't worried now. What he _was_ concerned about was what Malik's driving would be like once Tabibito joined their number. This thought in mind, Ryou tightened his grip on Malik's chest doubtfully.

Upon reaching the right avenue, Ryou quickly pointed out their destination, a small building identified as "Yume no Neko (11)" by a pastel, paw print-bedecked sign in the front lawn. Leaving the Egyptian's motorcycle in the front driveway, Ryou and Malik unhurriedly walked toward the house to retrieve Isis' infamous calico kitten.

A buttery compilation of delicate chimes announced their entrance and alerted the kennel's owner, who appeared to be singing a rather smug-looking Persian to sleep in the back room. Malik made a face and turned its glory on Ryou, who merely giggled in reply and shook his head. Isis spared no expense for her cherished Tabibito, that was for sure.

"Hello?" called Malik, sounding more than a little desperate. The bountiful array of crayon-sketched pictures of orange stick figures hugging smiling purple kitties was enough to make even the most successfully rehabilitated villain blanch.

The owner, a woman looking to be in her late twenties, snapped her attention from the Persian and whispered loudly, "Shhh! I'll be with you in a moment!"

Malik's face paled a few shades more at the mere thought of being in this place longer than he needed to be. "Ryou, if I don't make it out of here, make sure my bike gets a good home," he whimpered overdramatically.

Rolling his eyes, Ryou laced a hand around the Egyptian's, murmuring, "If anything hisses at you, don't hiss back."

Malik turned a deadpanned, but suffering Look on his koibito.

Ryou giggled again.

Finally, the dim noise of bass purring replaced the owner's quiet humming. The owner, pleased with her victory, rose from the chair seated beside the lavishly ornate enclosure and approached the pair. Shutting the door to the long line of cages behind her, she asked, "What can I help you with, boys?"

Malik tugged his hand loose of Ryou's and leaned his arms on the front desk nonchalantly. "I'm here to pick up my sister's demon."

The woman's eyebrows arched.

Ryou, arms crossed in a pensive air, said, "His name is Tabibito. He's a calico - "

" - Demon."

Ryou glared halfheartedly.

The woman ignored their banter with a patient shake of her head and said, "Yes, I know the kitten you're talking about. Tabi's getting to be quite the lady's man around here." She smiled with amusement and studied Malik. "I can see where he got the encouragement for it."

Ryou's shoulders arced possessively, a slight frown crossing his gentle features.

Malik smirked over his shoulder. "Hear that? I'm a lady's man," he teased.

Ryou wished for a moment that he had claws and an excuse like PMS to use as a defense when the police asked him why he'd sent his saiai to the hospital in ribbons.

"Wait here," said the woman with a smile thrown at Malik. She disappeared into the back room.

As soon as she'd gone, Malik idly toyed with a kitty fish-shaped treat. "So, Ryou…. What do you think of the kennel lady? Sexy legs, don't you think?"

When the woman returned with a sleepy Tabibito contentedly purring and nuzzled into her careful embrace, she was met with the scene of Malik choking laboriously while Ryou sat on the edge of the counter, swinging his legs absentmindedly and innocuously smiling. The owner, concerned, frowned and asked Ryou, "Is he all right?!"

Ryou nodded calmly, fondly tousling his hacking koibito's hair. "He tried to eat one of the fish treats."

**

Yugi Motou was used to the exceptionally bizarre. In fact, he now viewed normality as the truly bizarre. School was becoming awkward for him, too, as whenever the words "Egypt", "monster" or "cards" were dropped into casual conversation, the tricolored teen would yelp and run in the opposite direction. If he'd been picked on by bullies badly before, he was officially a bully magnet now. One would think he had a cologne that attracted pain and weirdness.

Or maybe he was just doomed.

The cause of his nervousness when it came to Egypt and Sennen Item topics might have been due to the stress of owning several Millennium Items, including the Puzzle, Tauk and Rod, and the god cards Malik had given him. Still, the spirit of the Rod was banished to the Shadow Realm, the spirit of the Ring was laying low and no one had tried to kill Yugi for his shiny triangle lately. Life wasn't _good_, but it was about as close to it as he was going to get. After all, when one still has one's hair drenched in lavatories, one doesn't commonly describe one's life as "good".

Yet, though Yugi's position in school hadn't changed from "kick me, I'm diminutive", he always had the spirit of the Puzzle to keep him company. Okay, so the former pharaoh was a little on the crazed side (12), but he was better company than the school toilets.

Until he'd informed Yugi that his life was now once again bizarre. Up until ten minutes ago, Yugi had believed Yami no Malik to be sealed forever inside of the Shadow Realm. But in fact, not only was Yami no Malik _not _in the Shadow Realm, he was gaining on the distance between Domino and wherever he was terrorizing now. But what was confusing were the spirit's motives. From what the Pharaoh had managed to learn from the Ring's guardian (by means of diplomacy, he had insisted), Yami no Malik wasn't coming after Yugi, the pharaoh or anything shiny or golden. In fact, the pharaoh suspected not even Yami no Bakura knew what the Rod's former guardian was up to.

For his part, Yugi was a little miffed. He wasn't supposed to face the same villain _twice_! That just wasn't the way organized evil _worked_! He defeated Yami no Malik, so…so…there!

Unfortunately, the pharaoh informed the holder of the Puzzle that his logic may not be as powerful to the ears of Yami no Malik - especially not if Yugi kept sticking his tongue out.

Yugi hopped onto the foot of his bed and folded his legs underneath him neatly. Yami no Yugi remained standing near the door, arms crossed over his phantasmal chest. It was a little unnerving at first to see the pharaoh in surroundings of reality, since the spirit, when not connected to Yugi, was exactly that - a metaphysical shadow of his former self. Well, in more truthful terms, it had been downright creepy. Not only did Yami no Yugi _look_ like him, but he was also a great deal darker and more menacing. It reminded him of the time he'd spilled paste all over his Uncle Akumu's six-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. …Puzzle? Yugi blinked. Well…isn't that ironic?

"Yugi? What's wrong?"

Yugi shook his head free of distracting thoughts and grinned up at the pharaoh. "Nothing. How much did the spirit of the Ring tell you about Yami no Malik?" he asked.

The pharaoh shook his head with an air of frustration. "Hardly anything useful to us. The tomb robber speaks in riddles - I fear he is too far off of the spectrum of common sanity to be anything but tiresomely perplexing."

Yugi nodded, having expected a report of this pallor. After all, Yami no Bakura had spent thousands of years trapped into a pen of solitude. It was only understandable that most of his remaining sanity had been drained by the excruciating sentence. Sometimes Yugi wondered why the pharaoh had bothered to lock the tomb robber's soul away if he hated him so much. Because of his former actions, the pharaoh was now responsible for squelching the tomb robber's indiscreet displays of madness and violence. If the pharaoh had wished to chastise the Ring spirit, there were only so many other ways to do it…. Why eternal damnation in a sacred artifact?

Yugi, the bright lad, suspected ulterior motives.

"He did say this, however," continued the pharaoh in a meditative voice. "He said, 'the abstract form of Yami no Malik has been shone upon by the moon, releasing his darkened soul into veracity. He is no longer the Darkness…and neither am I.'"

Yugi looked alarmed by the enigmatic conundrum, violet eyes wide with trepidation. "What does it mean, mou hitori no boku (13)?" he asked, using his moniker for the pharaoh absently. "Hasn't he always called _himself_ the Darkness?"

The pharaoh nodded. "It appears the tomb robber knows a great deal more than he's willing to share with me." He frowned darkly and muttered, "Though it would be for his benefit if he did."

Yugi, sensing a pharaoh bitchfit, chirped, "What should we do?"

The pharaoh tilted his head and thought the question over with scrupulous detail. At length, he said, "Until we know the true motives of Yami no Malik, we can do nothing but observe."

Yugi nodded. He'd expected as much. "So…what now?"

The pharaoh smirked. "Now you finish your summer homework."

"B-but - ! _What_?!" cried the younger boy indignantly. "What about Yami no Malik!? I can't just do math homework knowing he's terrorizing innocent people!"

Yami no Yugi patted his charge's shoulder with a formless hand, more for solace than for actual contact. "Then rest assured…he will be watched." Then, with an infuriating grin, the spirit vanished from Yugi's bedroom.

…"When I die, you're in _so_ much trouble, mou hitori no boku!"

**

Ryou asked Malik to stop by his house so he could check on his cousin and Sora, but found the house to be vacant. Shrugging, Ryou locked the front door and closed the garage absently, which had been open when he arrived. Suspecting that Riku and Sora must have found some other way to amuse themselves, Ryou pocketed his keys and walked back to the bike.

When he reached the curb, he caught Malik taunting the spitting kitten in the carrier. "Not so vicious now, are you, youkai?" he was hissing through the crossbars.

Ryou folded his arms and cleared his throat, making a show of tapping his foot against the pavement with vivid annoyance. Malik's eyes hit the sidewalk and slowly trailed up to meet Ryou's eyes. The younger boy said sharply, "Stop calling him a demon, Malik. And stop tormenting him, or I'm telling Isis what means of transportation you chose to deliver him home."

Malik blanched slightly. "She doesn't scare me," he said in a wavering tone.

Ryou hopped off the curb and grabbed Malik's collar, dragging the older teen down to his eye-level. "Pester the animal again and the only action you'll be seeing will be in movies," he said, dangerously close to the other's lips.

A wash of pure, absolute fear captured Malik's face. "You wouldn't dare," he whispered.

"Push me and find out," Ryou murmured back, kissing his koibito's forehead impishly. "Bully."

Malik sulked, wrenching his shirt from Ryou's loosened grip. "I'm not a bully," he pouted dramatically.

Ryou smiled, though he tried valiantly to hide it, and leaned over the back of the bike, fiddling with Tabibito's carrier.

"Hey," said Malik, straining to look over his shoulder, "what are you doing?"

Ryou turned and nimbly stepped up onto the curb, a mewling ball of fur writhing in his arms. At Malik's perplexed look, Ryou said, "You've gotten your fun scaring the living spirit out of him. I'm going to carry him the rest of the way."

Malik's eyes widened. "Ryou!" he protested. "It's eight blocks to my house!"

"So?"

"So…." Malik struggled with his next words. _Yeah, Malik_, a voice (thankfully not from any kind of golden object) asked, _so?_

A light sparkled in Ryou's eyes. "You're really jealous of him, aren't you, kichou?" he asked warmly.

"I'm _not_ jealous of that hacked up hairball!" _I just don't want you paying more attention to him than to me!_ …_Wait, that's_ _jealousy._

Ryou rolled his eyes and leaned out dangerously, pecking the Egyptian on the cheek sweetly. "I'll meet you at your house, all right?"

Malik grumbled and revved the bike's engine. "Isis is coming home at six - try to be back before then." With a last suffering look at Ryou and a poisonous glower at the jade-eyed kitten, he tore down the street and disappeared 'round the corner recklessly.

Tabibito craned his neck and watched Ryou shake his head fondly. "Mrew?" he inquired in a tiny voice.

Ryou smiled and ran ginger fingertips behind the kitten's part sooty part tangerine ear. To the kitten's closed-eyed look of pure content and cozy purring, Ryou answered, "Yeah, he's a little difficult sometimes, but he's got a good heart."

Tabibito licked Ryou's hand in agreement. Open, trusting bottle green eyes smiled up at the ivory-haired teenager.

Ryou returned the silent smile and gently repositioned the Tabibito so the kitten's spine rested on his arm and his little back legs bent into the air, kicking at a stray thread from Ryou's sweatshirt.

"How can Malik call you a demon?" Ryou wondered, catching a finger between Tabibito's front paws. As the kitten playfully tried to bite through the nail, his back legs clawed at the teen's wrist without malice. It was all fun to him. He looked sweet and he pretended to be a pest, but he was really a soft-hearted kitten. Ryou hid a smile. Tabibito and Malik had more in common than either might have willingly assumed.

**

Isis was unpacking her clothes into her corner dresser when the front door opened sullenly. She smiled slightly and called, "Why the sulk, brother?"

The door slammed with more force than necessary and Isis continued folding clothes. A moment later, the astonished face of her brother appeared in the doorway, accompanied by the rest of his shock-rigid body.

With a maternal "tsk", Isis threw a rolled-up pair of socks at her brother's partially revealed bronzed abdomen and teased, "You still wear that?" When her sibling merely maintained his stare, she continued, "Do you think I'm the only one who knows you've had that sweatshirt for five years?"

"Why are you home early?" the youngest Ishtar asked in a monotone.

Isis folded a particularly pesky sweater and set it gently into the third drawer. "Most people probably think you bought it like that - like you _mean_ to boast half of your torso to the world."

"You were supposed to be home at six."

"I wonder what they would think if they knew it shrunk in the wash?"

"Isis!"

Laughing at her brother's cross expression, Isis replied, "I managed to reserve an earlier flight. I just arrived home a half an hour ago."

"Oh." His question answered, Malik leaned against the doorframe and studied his sister's actions. "You missed me that much?" he teased. "Why, Isis, I'm touched."

Isis smiled, pausing her unpacking to approach her brother and hug him tightly. "Yes, I missed you, you idiot," she said warmly, ruffling the back of his hair.

Malik jerked out of her embrace, blushing violently. "_Isis_," he groaned, "please. I'm not five years old anymore."

"A pity, that," sighed his sister, resting her palm on Malik's cheek. "You were an adorable child."

Malik's blush deepened. "Older sisters bite," he grumbled.

"And younger brothers are maddening pests," Isis teased, returning to her previous task.

Malik set to work fixing his hair into its former organized chaos.

"Oh," said Isis suddenly, glancing up. "Where's Tabibito? Did you pick him up yet?"

Malik blanched. _There goes distracting her…._ "I…uh…not…yes?"

Isis frowned at her brother's stammering. "Where is my Tabibito, brother?"

"…Funny thing, that…."

Isis crossed her arms, her frown growing threatening. "Intrigue me."

"Um…." Thinking quickly, Malik did the first thing that bubbled into composition in his mind and ran for the stairs - not to mention his life.

"_Not so fast, Malik!" _Isis tore after her brother, wielding a menacing-looking hairdryer. "Where is Tabibito?!"

Malik flew down the stairs three at a time, grabbing the ornate fixture at the bottom rail and veering into the living room. "Check the interstate!" he shouted over his shoulder with a thriving cackle.

"I'm going to tear you apart!" screamed Isis, vaulting over the back of the couch and hurling a fairly new book on Egyptian Pharaohs at her brother's head. "He's just a baby!"

"He is not!"

"He is - !"

__

SLAM.

Isis dashed through the kitchen and latched onto the knob of the basement door. Locked. "Malik, you intolerable brat! What have you done to my neko saiai!?"

"Your 'beloved cat'?!" Malik yelled through the door. "That thing is a demon!"

"You're just jealous!"

"I am not!"

"You are so!"

"Not!"

"I'm not playing this game with you, brother! Open the door!"

…Malik's laughter leaked through the doorjambs. "You can't get in!" he taunted in a singsong voice.

Isis growled. "And _you_ cannot get out!" To emphasize this point, she grabbed a chair from the table and roughly slammed the back under the knob.

The laughter stopped, shortly followed by urgent shaking of the doorknob from the other side. "Isis! You can't do this to me!"

Isis smirked. "Oh, but I can." And with that, she walked away.

Which clearly proves that the Ishtar siblings were very loving and dear to each other. Except when they weren't.

**

As soon as Tabibito's cavernous eyes zeroed in on the Ishtars' charming little domicile, the calico screeched a feline battle cry and abandoned Ryou's arms in favor of the front lawn. Thinking the kitten was trying to escape, Ryou darted after him.

"Tabibito!" he called. The kitten leapt agilely and caught his terrifying centimeter-long claws into the soft wood of the backyard's fence. In a few moments, he had squirmed his way to the top and wobbled uncertainly. "Tabibito!" Ryou coaxed, skidding to an abrupt halt before the gate. The kitten, mischievously, turned his head and gave a solitary war cry before diving into the backyard.

Cringing, Ryou imagined for a moment what Isis would say if she ever found out he'd lost her cat. Malik, naturally, would be overjoyed and would probably worship his koibito for the rest of his juvenile life. Isis, though….

With a resigned sigh, Ryou fastened his hands at the top of the gate and with some effort scrambled to the lip. Jumping off the gate, Ryou landed rather gracelessly on the lawn below, tinting his knees with bruises and his jeans with grass stains. _Isis better _adore _this cat_,he thought with a grimace.

Tabibito was happily bounding across the lawn, his mottled ginger, ivory and ebony fur gleaming like wrinkled river water in the noonday sunlight. Ryou was after him in a flash, ignoring the friendly reminders of abject pain in his knees. "Tabibito!" he called.

The kitten hesitated and swiveled his furry head to glimmer knowing irises at his pursuer. "Mreow," he chirruped cheekily.

Ryou rolled his eyes and scooped the kitten into a no-nonsense embrace, continuing his trek for the porch. Tabibito pushed his muzzle into Ryou's upper arm, his ears flat against his ivory head and his eyes closed with content. Yep, definitely comparable to Malik. Just as just as difficult to predict and just as annoying.

Unconcerned with creating too much of a stir, Ryou pushed the back door open with a resounding screech. "Malik!" he called, shutting the door behind him. The house was silent. "Malik?"

No response. Ryou "hmm"ed and turned his gaze on the ball of fur staring up at him questioningly. Ryou shrugged. Then like an orchestra made solely of stampeding iron-shoed mammoths, the staircase of the second floor began to thunder and bellow. Ryou, eyes wider than coffee saucers, took a recoiling step back.

Isis landed on the first floor platform, her eyes wild and frantic. "TABIBITO!" she cried, running full-out at her brother's koibito and the fluffy cherub mewling in his arms.

Ryou, thoroughly terrified of the feverish Egyptian woman, reeled back, holding the kitten at arm's length. In a moment Tabibito was torn from his shaking hands and drawn lovingly into Isis' arms. "Oh, my little Tabibito! My beloved wanderer! Where _were_ you? Did that jealous sprite hurt you?"

Ryou assumed she meant Malik. …Speaking of Malik. "Um…Isis?"

The raven-haired mystic brought her eyes to meet Ryou's and without warning smothered the ivory-haired teenager in a vertebrae-cracking hug. "Oh, Bakura-kun! Thank you!"

Outright mortified, Ryou mumbled, "Y-you're welcome."

The eldest Ishtar drew back and smiled kindly. Since the beginning of their relationship, Isis had been quite fond of her brother's choice of koibito - which was only made stronger when Ryou proved to be a reliable advocate on the subject of her kitten. "I assume you saved Tabibito from my demonic sibling's hands?" she asked with her usual breath of calm and composure. There was no sign of her previous hysteria. Some people were just plain…_weird_ about their pets.

"_RYOU!_"

Alarmed, Ryou scoured the living room for the source of the familiar voice. "Malik?"

Isis smiled enigmatically and brushed a renegade strand of snowy hair behind Ryou's ear, gesturing to the basement in the same motion. "He's in there," she said, turning toward the kitchen. Now addressing Tabibito, she cooed, "You must be starving, my little wanderer. We'll just give you Malik's dinner."

Tabibito caterwauled in protest. Ryou could understand his horror - Malik was a painstaking vegetarian.

To the sounds of arguing meows and coaxing persisting in the kitchen, Ryou moved the chair aside from the basement door. "Malik?" he called, opening the door warily -

- THUD.

Ryou's back hit the wall opposite the basement door, compliments of the force titled Malik Ishtar the Meticulously Impatient. Encircling his arms around his startled koi's neck, Malik purred, "Remember when I asked you if I'd ever given you the impression that I'd try to throw you off a cliff?"

Ryou, intimidated by the dark look in his saiai's eyes, nodded meekly.

The older teen nuzzled a soft kiss into Ryou's lips. "Don't worry about it," he said with a wink. "I'm saving it for my sister."

Ryou relaxed against the wall, driving a slow breath of relief through his nearly crushed lungs. Malik chuckled and kissed him again, eliciting a delighted smile from his tenshi koibito.

__

SPLIIATTTESHH.

"AAII! MALIK!"

Letting loose into feral laughter, said future convict grabbed Ryou's wrist and dragged him out of the house frenziedly.

"What did you do?!" Ryou cried as they reached Malik's motorcycle.

Malik turned a quick look over his shoulder. "Set up a volcano bomb in my dinner."

"_Why_?!"

Malik shrugged. "I've done that since I moved in with her, but she's never triggered it before. She seems to think it's clever to put food dye or hot sauce in my food." He grinned. "Not that she ever _finds_ my food. There's another refrigerator in the basement…but _she_ doesn't know that…."

Ryou rolled his eyes as he was pulled onto the bike. "That doesn't sound like Isis," he commented skeptically.

"So I might have done _one _or two things to make her angry…."

As the bike's engine growled to life, Isis Ishtar stormed from the ajar front door cloaked in pasta and unidentified vegetables. She was screaming now, but neither Malik nor Ryou could hear over the pulsing rumble of the glimmering motorcycle. Then a misshapen puddle of egg yolk and verdant pulp with a tail of celery plodded straight into Isis' ankle, apparently blinded by a rather large sprig of broccoli.

To avoid future confrontation with Isis, Ryou turned his head and muffled his laughter in Malik's shoulder. "What exactly did you make that bomb out of?" he shouted to his koi.

"Nothing special," Malik yelled back, heaving away from his and Isis' block. As they swerved 'round the corner, Ryou thought he heard Malik's voice cackle, "Only a few quarts of vinegar, baking soda and soap…!"

To be Continued…

1 - According to the manga (which I'm using as a guideline), Ryou is a transfer to Domino from another city in Japan. Only in the American dub is he British. I just decided to give him ties to England by having his mother go to college at Cambridge.

2 - Not that anyone finds it anything but adorable, of course…. ;)

3 - Moshi moshi (Hello?) {used on the phone}

4 - Good afternoon

5 - Hai (yes)

6 - Tabibito (wanderer)

7 - Think _The Shining_

8 - Chotto ja (see you in a moment)

9 - Itsumo (always)

10 - Once again, not real ancient Egyptian. Just made it up.

11 - Yume no Neko (Cat's Dream)

12 - Going by the manga…where Yami no Yugi ain't exactly the picture of sweetness and sanity.

13 - Mou hitori no boku (the other me) - what Yugi called Yami no Yugi in the original.

14 - Which are a few _lovely_ ingredients of homemade volcanoes. Hehe.

Yay! Another chapter done! =) And more thank you notes to make!

****

The demon Rain - Aww, glad you liked it! =) **ShannonL **- I love Riku and Sora. *Sigh* They're such a sweet couple, you know? Riku's my main crush, though. He's just sublime in my opinion. ;) Hehe! Ryuuji and Jounouchi go Mob Boss. Hehe. Yu-Gi-Oh meets the Sopranos. LMAO. …Lord, that's too much! And I've never really seen Ryou as a morning person. Especially after being chucked off the couch like a diseased monkey. …That was one of the weirdest similarities I've ever tied to him…. **Shenya** - I hope so, 'cause there's such a lack of Ryou/Malik fanfic around here, you know? *Sigh* How can you not slash them? They're just so…adorable! Hehe, don't worry about the ranting. It's funny. ;) **Malik'sgurl** - Hehe! I think they do, anyway. But you're right, Riku looks older. Then again, Ryou can look six if he smiles the right way. *Grin* Sugar, honey and cherry? Jeez. Send by FedEx and you've got yourself a deal. ;) **False Chaos** - LOL! Glad you like the plushie! =) Hehe, it's a new style for me. Starting off with one scene, then gradually pulling back to a bunch of different scenes. I'm having fun with it, but I'm glad it's making some kind of sense. ;) Hehe. Oh, Lord, no! There will be _no_ original characters (OC's) in this. Eck. I hate that kind of thing. No, Riku and Sora (I mentioned already) are from the video game Kingdom Hearts. They're _not_ mine. I wouldn't call it a crossover, exactly. The Heartless will only be a major part of the plot for a few more chapters. Hehe. You'll see. **Reen **- Not a crossover, lol. Not exactly. Just pulling characters from my other favorite fandoms. Yeah, it's a shame Yu-Gi-Oh isn't combined with more categories. Hehe. Glad you like it. =) **Youko Duet** - Hehehe! I get the same way when someone doesn't instantly coo over Ryou. Hehehe! I guess we're all like that with our favorite bishies…. Some more than others. ;) Awww, don't be so hard on Seto. He'll redeem himself later. I love the psycho, he just needs a few kicks in the head to get him to be nicer. LOL! Domestic Maliks. Hehe. There's something you can't buy in a pet shop…. He'd try biting people. *Snicker* H.E.A.? What's that? Ooh, I did Yami no Malik in character?! Wow. That's news. I thought I made him too comical. Whoo! =D Yeah, Ryou's an Anti-Elitist now. Hehe. LOL! Yup, the candle is out to get Ryou and his blond koibito. Be afraid, boys. Oh, please, keep ranting! I _love_ your reviews, hehe! They're all nice and long! I _love_ Chicago. I had Cell Block Tango stuck in my head a week after seeing it. So I got the soundtrack. Hehe. Now I have that and Funny Honey and Love is a Crime on my list of favorites. …Eep, Queen of IC? Ack, I don't think I deserve it. …I think that was the first modest thing I've ever done. LOL! **Hana no Ceres** - Oh, don't you hate it when it does that to you? I wrote a three paragraph review for one of my friends last year and it went through. Or so I thought. I'm surprised you made the second one long though! Thank you! *Hug!* Hehe, yeah, tarot's fun in the right hands in front of the right person. Gullible person, of course. *Grin* I know! Ryuuji's such a poor, neglected bishie. *Hugs Ryuuji* I mean, you see him in the background so much you just want to hug him. Getting reviews is the best part of writing! ;) I'm surprised there are so many returning reviewers, though. Flattered though, definitely. Aww, I'm sorry you didn't like Kingdom Hearts. Riku and Sora just struck me as ideal characters to use in this so I did. Hehe. Well, I put a note telling where they were from. That's why I put them. ;) Ooh, expectations? Gah! Greaaat…. Tame? Yami no Malik? In this story? Hells no. LOL. **Blondie the Black Sheep** - LOL! You're welcome! =) I believe he's a sweetheart, but he was trampled on one too many times in Egypt by his father. He's a good person, it just needed to be beaten (or kissed ;)) out of him…by…say…Ryou? Hehe. Now _that's_ an episode I'd love. Think 4Kids would go for it? Aww, thank you! I don't really like Malik/Yami no Bakura. And it goes with my theory of Malik. I think after Battle City he gave up some of his more sadistic ways. And Yami no Bakura is a little too crazy to treat Malik well. I don't know, I don't see it as plausible, but I suppose it's debatable. *Shrug* I'll stick to my Ryou/Malik. Hehe. Oh, the candle has _fantastic_ gossip. Who do you think gets all her information from it? ;) **Kiirar **- Wow. Someone's enthusiastic! Aw, thanks! I'm glad people are finding my characters to be in character. =) LOL, yes, the candle's back. And will stay back for a while. Hehehe. **X20DeepX** - The cryptic tones? I'm not sure which you're talking about, but I'll check it out. And Seto's situation will be explained in the next chapter. Because you asked nicely ;), I'll put the little yaoi scene in a little sooner than I'd planned. Hehe. **Pepper Breath** - I was _ecstatic _to get your review. =) You're becoming one of my favorite reviewers, hehehe. Your insight is always appreciated. ^.^ I've always seen Yami no Malik as a little off mentally. More so than Yami no Bakura, but not in the same sense. Yami no Bakura is more humorously unbalanced, whereas Yami no Malik seems…disturbed? In the literal sense as well as the "ing" sense. ;) Jounouchi is a sweetie - you have to give him that - but he's sometimes a little too proud for his own good…which makes him _that _much easier to tease. Hehe. Yami no Malik and Yami no Bakura watching _Lady and the Tramp_ would be comedic enough for me to last just about forever! *Giggle* "Rare!" "Extra rare!" *Both look at each other* "ALIVE!" Sora and Riku are just too adorable. *Grin* I _had_ to fit them in somehow, ne? **Curunir Elentare Taranimgul -** Ain't Riku a bishie? ;) And yes, the Heartless are undoubtedly strange. But then…so are followers of Euclid *cough*. Hehe, just kiddin'. Long live English! …And _Great Expectations_! *Grin* And expect more fashion references…. What kind of dutiful girl would I be if I didn't comment on fashion? And yes, you get a lime. In fact, you get a lemon! With sugar! Muah! **Taito-kisses** - He _does_ look like Ryou, doesn't he? It's rather freaky if you think about it. Not to mention putting them next to each other…. Then they look like brothers. That was a little too far-fetched though. It's like, "Hey, Ryou, not only was your sister killed in a car crash, but you have a long lost brother!" ;) Not my style, unfortunately. Hehe. Aww, thank you! I haven't read many crossover stories…most involve animes I haven't watched. Though I'm beginning to see the potential in Yu Yu Hakusho…. Look up Kurama. _HE_ looks like Ryou, too! Minus the red hair. It's a conspiracy! Ryou has family in other animes! And Sheik is _so_ a guy. It terrified me when they said he was a she. My brother-in-law kept telling me it was a girl, but I was adamant. No _girl _should be that masculine! And have so many bishie traits! *Sigh* Some people just can't see sense, ne? ;) WE know the truth. Hehe. **Kurayami Ryuu** - Hehe! Divine Fanfic? *Blush* You're too kind. And yes, you get plushies! *Hands over Riku the Substitute For Coffee plushie* Hehe, addictive, but doesn't lessen your growth! Only your free time. 'Cause you'll be spending all of it removing cavities at the dentist's. ;)

****

--VOTE:-- Yaoi Fiction Democracy! Sound boring? How 'bout this: Representatives for MORE LEMONS! *Grin* In other words, because it's been requested, I've decided to make next chapter a Candle Chapter (AKA: yaoi). Now the question is…between who?

Now, the way I've split this up is…I can write one big lemon, with no shortcomings and no details cut centering on one pairing. _Or_ I can divide it into smaller lemons (or lemon/limes, depending on how it goes) between several pairings. The choice is yours. ;) (I felt like being mystic, hehe.) Add in the pairing you'd want, also. Just try to make it one of the established. If not…well, I can work around it. =) Just don't pry apart my Ryou/Malik. They're quite happy together - currently taming Tabibito. ;)

Oh, and yesterday was my birthday! Yay! =D


	6. A Diversion

Naming the Flame

Trei

Chapter Six

---I'm so sorry this took so long to write! I was a bit stuck with writer's block and a monster of a term paper (plus my laptop's back light burnt out), but fear not, it was easily vanquished with Mercedes Lackey rereading. ^_^ Really, shounen-ai fans must read the Last Mage trilogy she wrote. Tylendel is just…*sigh* Anyway, off my reading list and onto the yaoi!---

DEDICATION: Chapter dedicated to Set-chan, for the invaluable help offered on this chapter and the trials suffered due to lack of able-willed communication. Even so (hehe), it wouldn't have been written (or written well) without you, sweetie. =) Thank you.

--Note: One biiig lemon ahead with Ryou/Malik as our l'amour de garçon du jour. And yes, I ordered that pairing right. Hehe. Anyway, we have a lemon and a lime between one Jounouchi Katsuya and Otogi Ryuuji (you have Pepper Breath to thank for the lime - she pushed for it ^_^). Bishie plushies of their choice to Pepper Breath and x20Deepx for catching the Yami no Yugi/Yami no Bakura hints. ;) However, thanks to an astute observation by Sailor Comet, the actual lemon between Ryou and Malik is located on adultfanfiction.net. To save you the search, however, I included a link to the AFF chapter when the lemoniness begins to get…em…illegal. I'd rather keep my story online. ;) Enjoy!--

Following a herd of bizarrely-shaped urchins and an Egyptian spirit with a slain sense of direction was really not the way Ryuuji had planned to spend one of the last days of his vacation. His koibito, however, didn't seem to hear him when he pointed this out. Instead, Jounouchi crept from one alleyway to the next, unnecessarily hiding behind dumpsters and trash cans and humming some action movie's theme under his breath. Ryuuji walked after him like a weary mother, his arms folded as he lazily strode a straight path through the grimy back streets.

At one point, Jounouchi paused mid-crouch in his secret agent rehearsal to pout at his drab koi. "You're ruining my fun," he accused, glaring childishly.

Ryuuji cast a shock of emerald to the sky, his eyes' motion giving away the exasperation he couldn't put entirely into words. "I'm not going to jabber around a grubby alleyway like some skulking, freshly escaped psychopath. It's bad enough I'm wasting my vacation time sweating in some back alley miles away from the nearest air conditioner, let alone the fact that the reason I'm sweating is the damn weather and not something you're doing."

This time 'round, Jounouchi actually paused to consider his koibito's previously ignored words. Slowly, a coy grin replaced the sullen pout that threw his countenance back ten years. "Are you saying you'd rather be spending your vacation with me?" he asked, rubbing a finger pad on a bent knee while he trained his eyes downward.

Ryuuji rolled his eyes in a full turn, kneeling before the blond and pulling the older boy's hands into his own. "Yes, you baka," he said, leaning in and kissing Jounouchi's forehead tenderly. "I'd rather you than this pointless chase. It's obvious where the maniac is going - everything he probably wants he can get in Domino. And while it would be amusing to watch you try and take him down with paper cuts from your Duel Monsters' deck, I'd much rather you put your energy to a more…gratifying use."

Jounouchi smiled and squeezed Ryuuji's hands. "Like what?" he whispered.

Grinning, Ryuuji pried a hand from Jounouchi's and captured the back of the blond's neck, drawing the older boy into a piquant lip combat. Jounouchi returned the grin and pushed against the raven-haired teen, his hands skating from toned abdomen to the curved small of his back. Ignoring the filth most likely covering the alley wall, Ryuuji allowed his koibito to smash his back into the bricks, only truly conscious of the blond before him.

Jounouchi skimmed a hand beneath the close-fitting shirt Ryuuji wore, his fingertips massaging the rippled muscles that shivered under his touch. Ryuuji sighed shakily into the kiss, his arms winding around Jounouchi's neck and holding on tightly. This was more like it. No psycho asshole was more foremost than lime time with your kichou koibito.

His body flush against Ryuuji's, Jounouchi slid his arms under the younger boy's arms and lifted him slightly, a fairly obvious hint to stand. Unsteadily Ryuuji observed the unspoken urging, pulling on Jounouchi's shoulders to rise to his feet. Instantly, though, he was once more smothered against the wall, moaning as Jounouchi crushed their hips dangerously closer.

The older boy concentrated on the kiss, his tongue brushing Ryuuji's as he tilted his head to gain better angle. From there he closed his eyes and relied on touch and sense to assist him. Ryuuji writhed under the several points of assault, trembling against the kiss and shuddering under the pressure on his groin. He groaned again as Jounouchi ground his hips down on his, Ryuuji holding his arms tighter around the blond's neck. Fighting a low cry, the younger boy delved one hand into golden strands while the other stole beneath Jounouchi's shirt and clawed at the damp shoulder blades.

Detaching from the kiss, Jounouchi attacked Ryuuji's neck, his teeth nipping at an exposed angle where neck met shoulder. Ryuuji's nails dug painfully into his back, the younger boy grating out a harsh gasp at the contact. "J-Jou…" Ryuuji groaned. "Mmm, Katsuya…." The teeth came down again, eliciting a startled cry and a fist clenching in Jounouchi's blond hair.

"Say it," whispered Jounouchi, his molten amber eyes drinking in the ebony lashes trembling against high cheekbones. "Ryuuji-koi, say it."

"Aishiteru, Katsuya," the other boy groaned, "aishiteru."

Satisfied, Jounouchi smiled and returned the sentiment by kissing the younger boy's forehead.

Ryuuji snapped his eyes open, panting like a wounded animal. "Y-you're going to finish that or I'll fucking take you right here."

Eyes widening at the promise, Jounouchi said innocently, "I thought you said the alley was too grubby?"

Ryuuji whacked Jounouchi emphatically with passion-emblazed force. After hearing the yelp that passed Jounouchi's lips, Ryuuji growled, "It's hot, now I'm sweating because of you and that maniac is long gone by now. Now kiss me or I'll leash you to a fire hydrant!"

Jounouchi twirled a strand of midnight silk around one finger, smiling dotingly at Ryuuji. "I think you make a better dog in heat than I do, koi."

Ryuuji smothered further teasing with a soul-shattering kiss, his wandering hands more than enough to draw an even headier moan from his formerly smug koibito.

**

As of late, nobody dead or alive could claim to have spoken rationally with the former tomb robber that now inhabited Ryou Bakura's body. This was not to say it could not be done, which was presently Yami no Yugi's goal to prove. The pharaoh knew the spirit of the Ring better than one would believe in more ways than one.

He knew, for example, that Yami no Bakura was dangerously unstable in his airs and auras. Though he had never and would never lay a harmful finger on his fragilely innocent host, Yami no Bakura wouldn't flinch to beat a total stranger - just because the stranger's eyes were green and colored eyes outside of brown unnerved the tomb robber. Yet on that point, Yami no Yugi could understand his fellow spirit's confusion and nerves - every soul in ancient Egypt had had darkest black hair and russet irises (1). However, this was no reason to initiate senseless violence. But he'd been unsuccessful in explaining this to Yami no Bakura. Some things will never change, and Yami no Bakura's paranoia was inarguably one of them. Schizophrenic, deluded and paranoid.

Yami no Yugi wondered if he could find the soul of his past life's advisor and crush it for letting him fall in love with such a rampaging lunatic.

That…emotion had been the one thing that saved Yami no Bakura's afterlife when the pharaoh discovered what the tomb robber had done to ensure his safe passage into the Sennen Puzzle. Not only was he now shredding off pieces of his soul to play house in a shiny golden triangle - he was spying on him and Yugi! Rampaging lunatic….

Said lunatic was currently leaning against a brick pillar in the shadows of Yami no Yugi's soul room, tilting his head forward just enough to let his bangs fall forward and shield his eyes. It would have looked menacing - if he hadn't been grinning like an idiot and hysterical with demonic little giggles.

For his part, the pharaoh merely narrowed his eyes and gauged the countdown to his exploding temper's next appearance. "I take it from your hilarity that world destruction is now amusing to you?" he growled. He may have loved the psycho, but that by no means he was disallowed from taking his anger out on him.

In reply, Yami no Bakura shucked his hair back and smiled capriciously with a riddle in his eyes. "I take it from your reaction that you have yet to discover the plans of the Rod's former guardian," he said, tilting his head sideways.

The pharaoh's lips blanched under the strain of their owner. If Yami no Bakura sensed a looming pharaoh bitchfit, he made no acknowledgement. Instead, he curled his arms around his waist and continued to leer at the former monarch.

"What aren't you telling me, tomb robber?"

"Everything. And nothing. For example…."

The pharaoh arched an eyebrow.

"Did you know that the dice fanatic and the inu cheerleader are…you would say…an item?"

Yami no Bakura's grin doubled in maniacal degree and the Pharaoh felt his chances of semi-sane conversation slipping with the intensity of that grin. Baka rampaging lunatic tomb robber!

"Tomb robber - "

"Though I severely doubt its lengthy duration."

" - Tomb robber - "

"There doesn't seem to be a great deal of physical attraction. Every affiliation like theirs craves physical attraction. Nobody cares for conversation when they can have - "

"Athari!" (2)

Yami no Bakura grinned broadly, the deranged light in his eyes fading vaguely. Clearing his throat delicately to contrast the fuming pharaoh and the glowing Eye of Horus now evident on the former monarch's forehead, the thief moved off of the wall and approached Yami no Yugi.

The pharaoh, still furious, held his ground, his fists ready to pummel.

Yami no Bakura paused only centimeters from the pharaoh's nose, whispering, "You said my name."

The Pharaoh's expression failed to change, though the Eye of Horus began to fade a little with his rage. "So I did," he said stiffly. "You had forgotten it?"

"No, and I knew you hadn't. Re knows you've screamed it enough." A mischievous spark returned to Yami no Bakura's eyes.

The pharaoh rolled his eyes and folded his arms regally before his chest. "In anger only, tomb robber."

Yami no Bakura placed a hand on the pharaoh's crossed arms, pulling them down and apart without once leaving the locked stare. "You lie, Khetire." (3) The younger Egyptian tilted his head again, studying the older's eyes meticulously. "It isn't prudent for pharaohs to lie."

"Nor is it prudent for children to play with explosives," reminded Yami no Yugi with a skeptical eyebrow lifted.

Yami no Bakura erupted into fresh giggles, almost squealing with glee. "No, it isn't!" he agreed in a cackle.

Yami no Yugi at last had his fill of the tomb robber's bizarre behavior and silenced the fiendish giggling with an impetuous kiss. Lunatics talk too much.

Arms still crossed, the pharaoh pulled away, leaning his head back imperially to stare the tomb robber head on. "You enjoy the sound of your own voice far too voraciously," he pointed out coolly.

Yami no Bakura was grinning vaguely, his eyes still shut. "I could think of other things I enjoy more…" he hummed.

The pharaoh rolled his eyes. "Perhaps solitary confinement wasn't the most clever of my ideas."

"No arguments from this corner."

Yami no Yugi glared flatly at an innocently smiling tomb robber. "Silence, Athari," he growled.

Yami no Bakura ignored the command and leaned forward, his arms twining around the pharaoh's neck impishly. Startled by the impulsive move, Yami no Yugi caught the tomb robber's slim waist. The tomb robber smiled with an edge of mischief. "How old were you when you died, ore no Myoujou (4)?" he asked.

The pharaoh, sadly for his sanity, was used to the tomb robber's abrupt changes of conversation and replied composedly, "I've been told I was eighteen."

Pleased with the answer, Yami no Bakura leaned more of his weight on Yami no Yugi's chest. "Do you know how old I was?"

"…No."

"Sixteen."

Yami no Yugi's eyes widened. "Truly?"

"Yes."

"Athari - "

Yami no Bakura kissed the pharaoh sternly, mocking, "You enjoy the sound of your own voice far too voraciously."

Yami no Yugi frowned and scoured the other's eyes. The tomb robber was an enigma, all right. One could never tell how deeply his riddling veins ran. Surely, he couldn't have been this weird in Egypt.

"You're staring," pointed out Yami no Bakura with a smirk.

"I'm studying."

"You're boring."

The pharaoh smirked and shoved the startled tomb robber against a conveniently placed wall, leering perilously close. Nearly purring, Yami no Yugi entrapped the younger Egyptian's mouth deep in a searing kiss that spoke volumes more than words ever could attempt to accomplish.

"Boring, ne?" asked the Puzzle's spirit as he pulled back and took to toying with the fragile, pure locks of his thief.

Yami no Bakura stared, his mouth ajar. Insanity seemed to flee his eyes, replaced by unadulterated shock.

Chuckling, Yami no Yugi nuzzled an intimate kiss into the softened lips, murmuring, "Silence suits you."

The thief continued to stare. Then, "Khetire?"

The older Egyptian was occupied with cuddling against the other spirit, his eyes closed as he left kisses on the other's ivory throat. "Hmm?"

"Aishiteru."

As if struck by a ten-pound mallet, the Pharaoh jerked back, gaping at the younger Egyptian with unrestrained shock. "Wh-what?"

Yami no Bakura grinned, the flash of madness returning to glisten in the tip of his left eye.

"Athari?"

"Hmm?" the younger Egyptian mocked.

"What did you just say?" prompted Yami no Yugi with a hint of urgency. That word…that underlying message…. After thousands of years separated…. Having been told already that they had once meant more to each other than appearances would allow…. Could the tomb robber still love the pharaoh?

"Say?" asked Yami no Bakura with a frown. "When?" He would have convinced, too, had his eyes not sparkled so.

Yami no Yugi scowled. "Don't be stupid."

"I haven't the barest trace of an idea what you're talking about, mou Myoujou," the tomb robber said innocently.

"Why do I find that difficult to believe?"

"Because I was a thief, a liar, a murderer and a devastatingly charming tomb robber in my other life?"

A slender eyebrow lifted. "Murderer?"

Yami no Bakura made a noise of affirmation in the hollow of his throat. His eyes were beginning to reclaim their perpetually crazed glint. "Egypt taught me the true meaning of 'bleeding hearts'."

"What do you mean?"

"Bleeding a heart. Making it bleed."

The former pharaoh's other eyebrow joined its twin near the golden hairline. "I'm not following you." Naturally. "You bled a heart?" Without confusing himself further by demanding an explanation to that, he instead asked, "Intentionally, then, I assume?"

"It was never my intention."

"To make a heart bleed?"

"To make yours bleed."

And before Yami no Yugi could even sputter his shock properly, the tomb robber was gone. Wide-eyed at the words Yami no Bakura had just unleashed, the former pharaoh leaned against a pillar of his soul room and mused over that. Riddles were the tomb robber's way of life in this era. Why did it seem to Yami no Yugi that his way of life was quickly plummeting to King of Games to unpaid, overworked code breaker?

Anyone speak screwball?

**

Malik initially regarded the theatre with a skeptical look, half listening to Ryou's explanation of it and what was inside while his own thoughts tried to dredge up his own representation. All he could come up with, though, was a memory of seeing a small television set in a market near his old home in Egypt. He remembered being entranced by the moving pictures, the window of people moving around as though it were a portal looking into another corner of the world. According to Ryou, this was like a very large television set with rows of seats to accommodate other patrons.

Malik frowned and interrupted, "Why are there other people?" He didn't like the idea of a darkened room surrounded by total strangers - possibly armed total strangers. In the past few days, he had been enthusiastically reminded that his popularity in Domino was spectacularly low.

Ryou smiled gently at Malik's forcibly hidden anxiety and laced an arm through the Egyptian's, leading him toward the ticket booth. "Trust me, koi, it's fine. If you want to live in Japan or any country with metropolises, you have to learn these kinds of things."

"You're lucky I love you."

Ryou cast a smile over his shoulder. "I know."

Malik carefully avoided the other customers in the lobby of the theatre as he and Ryou headed toward the theatre number printed on their tickets. Some Egyptian god must have taken pity on Malik, for he or she had assigned them to a nearby theatre. Malik disappeared through the door quickly, Ryou following him with a poorly masked grin of amusement.

Malik, apparently having no idea of the implications he was giving off, climbed the stairs leading to the topmost row of the theatre. Ryou muffled a blush and ascended the stairs, rubbing his cheek with his sleeve. The theatre was fairly empty save for a few who cluttered at the bottom of the theatre. A girl and her boyfriend caught sight of the infamous terrorist of Battle City and exchanged a panicked look before quickly relocating their seats from the back to one of the middle rows. Malik looked pleased that a girl his age had actually run in the opposite direction for once.

Ryou slumped into a seat beside Malik, unconsciously reaching over and twining his fingers with the older boy's. Malik jumped and redirected his attention from scanning the place suspiciously to their bound hands. He smiled at Ryou and unexpectedly brushed a kiss to his ivory-haired koibito's lips. "You're sweet," he said, squeezing Ryou's hand.

The younger boy flushed adorably and pillowed his head between the tanned jaw line and Malik's warm shoulder.

"Ry?"

"Mm?"

"How long is this movie?"

"Two hours, I'd say. Why?"

"Mm. No reason."

Ryou frowned, but before he could question further, the overhead lights began to fade into oblivion.

Malik stiffened. "What's going on?" he hissed.

Ryou blinked and surveyed the theatre, searching for an unorthodox peril or even a strange ad on the movie screen. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he asked, "What?"

"The lights," explained Malik sharply, his head craned back to flit his gaze from one darkening orb to the next.

Ryou masked a smile and said, "They're just dimming the lights, saiai."

"Why?"

"So you can see the screen better. Just watch."

Malik angled his head slightly, ignoring the abrupt brilliance of the screen to gaze stoically at his koi. Aware thanks the peripheral sense of his gaze, Ryou turned his glimpsing eyes on Malik's and smiled amusedly. "I meant watch the screen, kichou," he teased lightly. Malik only grinned and reached out with a crooked wrist, gently guiding Ryou's head to his shoulder. Inwardly, Ryou initiated giggles fit for the vocal capacity of a ten-year-old, outwardly smiling enough to split his face in half.

"IN THEATERS OCTOBER 14th!"

Malik yelped and tumbled straight out of his seat, his hand unconsciously swiping his belt for his absent Sennen Rod. "What the hell?!" he demanded of the ceiling.

Ryou fumbled with his hand to conceal off-timed giggles. "It's just the coming attractions, kichou!"

"SHHH!"

Grumbling a few foreign vulgarities, Malik sought out his seat and took to scowling at the screen. "Fucking theatre."

Ryou lowered his hand experimentally. Pleased when no remnants of entertained glee bubbled from his throat, he asked quietly, "Haven't you heard of movie theatres before, koibito?"

The look he received was acidic. "Of course I have," Malik snapped. "I'm more experienced in this world than any twenty teenagers my age put together."

Ryou smiled mischievously.

The coming attractions continued in an avidly expressive array of colors, splashing the pair with the odd splotch of white or green, blue or yellow. It so happened that in the moment that Ryou grinned, the crimson of an actor's shirt burned into the young boy's profile. Malik recoiled a bit. How Change of Heart…. Creepy card. Creepy theatre. …Creepy color-switching koibito….

"What's that?" growled Malik, eyeing the expression with supreme suspicion. "What're you smiling at?"

Shaking his head, Ryou continued to smile and returned his silken head to the tense shoulder. Once his slender fingers were once more securely woven in Malik's, he answered cryptically, "Just something your sister and I realized."

Malik looked severely threatened by this observation. "What?" he asked, not entirely certain he wanted a reply to that.

"Oh, it's nothing. We were discussing the same subject, actually. We both agreed that you had a much broader scope of the world than most your age."

"So why the leer? My sister gives me that look when she knows something I don't."

"She does, in this case. And I do not 'leer', thank you."

Malik's eyes narrowed, platinum eyebrows kneeling close to irritated lavender spheres.

Ryou veiled another smile and began stroking the back of his Egyptian's hand gently, gazing at the ivory contrast on tan before stating, "You had a fairly suggestive Sennen Item for years, love. And you must have known every centimeter of it like any part of your jewelry…ensemble. Yet - that never stopped you from proclaiming, 'Behold the power of my Millennium Rod!' at the top of your voice."

Malik looked stupefied for a moment before the implications of his former mayhem-inflicting self thundered true in his ears. Which were now red. "Oh…oh, hell…" he muttered weakly. His face was quickly becoming an aggressive competitor for any three layers of neon red wrapping paper.

Ryou continued to grin, his attention and melted chocolate gaze fixed on the exploits of his thumb on Malik's hand. Struggling to squash a grin, Ryou whispered, "Don't evil villains get 'the talk' too, love?"

The squeal that pierced the moviegoers' theatrical experience curled a satisfied smirk on Malik's lips while Ryou clutched at his lower abdomen, blushing frantically.

"That's a yes," Malik clarified.

**

Malik observed aloud that the back door was minutely ajar and refused to allow Ryou out of his sight (or out from under his arm – which triggered a spurt of prideful reluctance from Ryou until he realized this new position was actually quite comfortable) while they searched the darkened floors. Following a fruitless search, Ryou shrugged and notched a finger underneath the living room's light switch. Brilliant rays from above the coffee table stained the room luridly, exposing two yelps of incredulity and two enormously shocked islanders trying to look innocuous while shirtless in the middle of the room.

Riku recovered first, apparently at the very most grateful that it was his cousin and not his uncle that had discovered his and Sora's rather poorly disguised relationship. Smoothing hands through his awry hair, he said calmly, "Hey, guys. Your sister called, Malik."

Nodding emphatically, Sora added sheepishly, "She said someone named Yugi called for Ryou."

Malik staggered, his jaw slack. "Why was he calling me to get to Ryou?" he asked skeptically. His relationship with Ryou wasn't exactly a topic of discussion amongst the chibi Pharaoh's band of misfits and goonies.

"Obviously, he knows Ryou's probably there if he's not at home." Sora giggled impishly, looking from Ryou to Malik after a crafty grin shot at his own koibito. …Okay, islanders are officially bizarre, Ryou decided internally. …Wait, Japan is an island…. Well, I suppose that's right then. Schizophrenic, dates a schizophrenic, hangs out with a schizophrenic with triangular hair, attends school with a teenager richer than half of the planet…. Uh, maybe I should consider medication before this gets too long….

Swiveling his attention back towards the conversation at hand, Ryou caught the end of Riku's taunt of, "And my cousin's probably at Malik's a lot."

Ryou cleared his throat of the embarrassment striving to kick his tone up an octave and said surprisingly evenly, "Are we interrupting something?" He eyed the drained glass bottle resting stationary a breath from Riku's curled legs.

Riku glanced at Sora and quickly drew up his injured arm, regarding it with mostly acted out concern. An angry burgundy stain was blotching the bandages wrapped around his upper arm; Ryou wincingly looked away. Too many deplorable memories like that and he'd be fully prepared to lose the dinner he hadn't yet eaten.

Sensing Ryou's discomfort, Riku replaced the cloth and said, "I have to change this, Sora'll explain." Thus excusing himself, Riku stole upstairs, smirking.

Glaring at his traitor koi's retreating back, Sora grumbled, "We were watching the news a few minutes ago and we got…uhm…distracted." At Malik's arched eyebrow, Sora rushed on, "And about that…I'm not sure how much you know…the news had coverage of it all day…. Uh. Well, the night we met you, me and Riku - "

"Riku and I," called Riku lazily from upstairs.

Sora scowled childishly at the ceiling. "Riku and I were sent here when our world received news of the Heartless reborn in yours. To make a long story short, when we dropped by Taki Hi, Riku was attacked by a creature we used to fight - well, creatures. They're called - "

"Heartless," said Ryou, nodding.

"How'd you know?"

"Uhm. I…overheard?"

Sora grinned. "Sure. Anyway, we'll explain details later, but the main brunt of the thing is, these things didn't used to be such a problem for us, let alone Riku," elaborated Sora. A small fleck of tinsel shone proudly in the core of his eyes as he spoke of his koi. "On the island, we used to think no one could defeat Riku." Smiling slightly, he confessed, "I still do, to be honest." Shaking his head with a rueful grin, he continued, "Heartless are almost docile - incredibly easy to defeat. Four sword swipes and they fall at your feet. Basically, the fact that Riku couldn't even hit one was a major concern to both of us. So we investigated today."

"What did you find out?" Ryou asked calmly.

Sora adapted a skeptical countenance, the question obvious in his eyes. How can Ryou be so composed about this? Wondering over this, Sora also noticed that Malik hadn't shown much horror or nervousness, either. Though one may speculate that had Sora added a description of the new and improved Heartless' leader, the Egyptian and his koibito might have been a stitch more responsive.

"Nothing useful," Sora admitted finally, albeit grudgingly. "They've vanished. And we haven't heard a news report on them since six o'clock. The news casters just…stopped."

Malik looked interested.

Before they'd lost his attention again, Sora swiftly explained, "The news casters just stopped their coverage on the 'undisclosed location of this bizarre race of dog' right in the middle and started talking about some freak snowstorm somewhere up north."

Ryou soaked this in slowly, his usual pensive silence habitually smothering the room. Unused to being a major contributor to conversation, Ryou took a few moments to realize both Malik's and Sora's gazes resting on him. Twining his arms over his chest, he prompted, "So, that doesn't explain why you were playing spin the bottle in my living room."

Riku reentered the room silently and gracefully threw himself onto the couch, flinging his legs across the cushions. Unbidden, Sora climbed onto the cushions and nestled behind the lithe body, supporting Riku's back with his chest.

"So…?" Ryou prompted. "Heavy making out in my living room because…?"

Sora tilted his head in an adorably confused manner. "What's 'spin the bottle'?" he asked, deliberately avoiding Ryou's tactfully configured question.

Malik grinned, a mask of intense smugness capturing his features. He smirked down on Ryou with "I told you so" dripping from his lilac irises. "See? I'm not the only one who missed out on prepubescent rituals."

Grinning, Ryou teased back, "Well, I figured you may have picked up on some teenaged culture during your travels, oh experienced one."

Malik kept up the lighthearted banter, quipping, "You know…if my sister knew I made out in a movie theatre…."

"Oh, wait!" said Sora suddenly. "Isn't that that game where you have to kiss whoever the bottle lands on?"

Malik scowled, his smugness at having allies in the "brutally naïve" department vanquished. "Yeah," he grumbled, pointedly ignoring the knowing grin Ryou was directing at him.

"This isn't that," said Riku helpfully, lifting the bottle from the floor. "See, it's a game Sora and I made up when we were kids - "

" - Pretty hentai island you two grew up on - "

" - And it was basically to determine who got to do what first. We usually used sticks or something, but bottles work, too. Better, actually. See, we each point out something and chuck the stick - or spin the bottle. Whichever is closest to the marked end wins. See, we spun and Sora chose the stereo and I chose the bookshelf. The end landed on the weird…mask…thing on the wall, so technically Sora won because it was closer to the stereo than to the bookshelf."

The roles switched and Ryou took over the confused position, ambiguity marring his forehead. "What were you…eh…spinning for?"

Riku smirked turned over, leaning perilously close to his koibito and nipping Sora's ear slowly. "Dominance," he purred.

Sora allowed the mischievous glint back to his eyes and flipped Riku onto his back pointedly. "Hai, so you gotta do what I want for once…uke (5)."

"Mmm…yes, my seme one (6)," mocked Riku, folding his arms around Sora's neck indolently.

Seemingly unaware of their hosts' continued presence, the couple drew nearer to one another and sealed the room into a blanket of hazed warmth. Warmth that quickly escalated to heat and passion. Malik lifted his gaping innocent into his arms and left the pair to enjoy each other appropriately. Only Ryou missed the grins pulling at the corners of both islanders' mouths, Riku cracking an azure eye open to follow the couple's ascent up the stairs.

**

Malik only let his koibito's feet touch the floor after Ryou promised to keep his eyes shut and his mind focused on the first thing he saw upon relinquishing that hold on his snow-lashed eyelids. Giggling slightly at the oddity of the request, Ryou agreed and felt Malik's arms slowly ebbing from his body. As soon as his sneakers touched the carpet, Ryou steadied himself and allowed the remainder of Malik's body heat to escape him. Pouting slightly but unwilling to disobey Malik's softly uttered command, Ryou put his hands over his eyes and hosted a vague smile of excitement.

Moments later Ryou felt the warmth of Malik's hands on his wrists, gently detaching the extra shields from his vision. In a hushed voice, Malik whispered, "Look at me."

Ryou's smile grew before he raised his eyelids to meet the candlelit (yes, _that _candle) angles of the room, his lavender-eyed koibito only feet away, smiling and with a buttermilk-hued rose delicately perched between mocha fingertips. Shocked by the abruptness of this romantic scene, Ryou gazed around the room, drinking in all of the simple things that Malik had done somehow, sometime when Ryou wasn't around - just…because?

"M-Malik," breathed the ivory-tressed boy, using hushed tones for fear of fracturing this delicate balance. "What is this? Why?"

Chuckling at Ryou's disbelief and awe, the Egyptian threaded smooth fingers through the diamond-kissed hair, pressing his mouth chastely to the warm plane of Ryou's forehead. "Because I got bored and felt like busting my ass trying to impress you by being clever and celebrating our anniversary a week beforehand," he explained with a grin. "Oh, Riku helped, too. He and I went to the florist the morning Isis came back and got you a bunch of these." He twirled the stem of the rose indicatively.

Ryou's open-mouthed shock eventually lifted into a toothy smile, an ecstatic cry ripping from the younger boy's throat as he dove straight into that familiar desert-perfumed embrace. Arms alighted around his back and squeezed until Ryou squeaked gently as a request for lung salvation. Malik held his koibito at elbow's length, picking up an arm to loosely cover Ryou's shoulder. The hand near Ryou's ear traced the fragile skin with baby soft rose petals while lavender pooled the younger boy into blissful oblivion.

"Mm, I wanted to take you out for dinner or something," Malik said regretfully, "but we did that last year."

Ryou, an undeviating smile perching on the curve of his lips, pilfered the rose nimbly with fingers adept at the usage of chopsticks and studied the texture lovingly. The same expression graced Malik just before Ryou kissed the Egyptian mouth softly. "This is just as nice," he reassured his exotic koibito affectionately.

"Two years," added the younger boy quietly, laying the rose on his desk with a fond smile. "Amazing."

Malik smiled and curled his arms tighter around his treasure, not daring to let him go for any span of time. "I know," he sighed, returning his lips to the soft skin below him, dusting the high cheekbones with flushes of red and tinges of pink. "Amazing," he murmured, though this time it seemed directed more closely toward Ryou than the event.

"You know…" Ryou started slowly.

"Mm?"

"Two years is…absurdly long for teenagers our age, ne?"

Malik nodded, withdrawing his kisses momentarily in favor of staring affectionately into those chocolate amber jeweled eyes. He waited for Ryou to continue, seeing the anxious glint in the other's eyes as he toyed with Malik's sweatshirt idly.

"…I love you, Malik."

A smile broke the solemn caring on Malik's face, drenching the juvenile face with delight. "I love you, too, kojika," he assured softly.

"Then forgive me for this." And Ryou had the older boy's lips crushed with a bruising kiss, clinging so tightly to Malik that one would have assumed on first sight that he couldn't breathe with his ribs intact.

Malik stumbled at the assault, but quickly responded and closed his arms hastily around Ryou's waist, his mouth already parting to invite a new kind of attack. To keep some level of the previous affection, Malik slowly nestled his fingertips in Ryou's hair, massaging the back of his neck with agile fingers. Ryou hissed against his mouth and sunk against Malik's chest, his wrists locking around each other at the back of the Egyptian's neck.

The heat ambushed them both, catching them by the ears and hauling them together into a torrent of humid surrender. Ryou gasped against Malik's lips, but couldn't find the strength nor the will to break away, even for a moment. The desperation to be like this always with this one person was overpowering and the melody in his soul was pounding out the frantic rhythm of his heart. Choose him. Choose him. Choose him.

At last the pressure for air drove them apart, but their lips remained close in contact as they found and scraped in harsh half-breaths. Ryou kept his eyes closed, his damp forehead pressing on Malik's. "G-gomen," he whispered.

"Why-why the apology?" Malik gasped. "The only thing you should be sorry for is not doing that sooner…or longer. Gills to me are suddenly attractive."

"Well, you know koi can also be carp…." Winking, Ryou burrowed his face deep into the recess of his koibito's shoulder, soaking in the wraithlike perfume of Malik's sun-drenched hair. "It's different this time," he murmured, smiling.

Malik stroked Ryou's hair absently, pacifying the locks askew while smoothing out his own jagged breathing. "How?"

"I want you."

Malik choked on air, withdrawing fast enough to dizzy his vision slightly. Ryou's chocolate eyes melted warmth through him, the heat of his gaze setting his very pulse to breakneck. Drawing his hands to Ryou's neck, the Egyptian boy managed to gasp out, "Next time you say that - and I know you lowered your voice on purpose you spiteful cat - make sure I'm not close enough to do this - "

Ryou's terse gasp shuttered through his body like suffocating wind, his chest pulling in tightly to better accommodate the closer position. Malik scooped an arm at the curve of Ryou's back, tugging the younger boy that much closer to him. Ryou knelt his head back, the fire at his neck sporadically rising and dropping with every kiss Malik's lips delivered to his hypersensitive skin. From somewhere in his mind where thought still meant something, Ryou acknowledged the stiff heat in his groin and the sharp jolts of heaven whenever Malik pushed against him.

Malik finally drew his lips away, only to rest another kiss on Ryou's forehead. Grinning, he commented with teasing innocence, "So does this mean you get to 'behold the power of my Millennium Rod' now?"

At the pure inane absurdity of the inquiry, Ryou doubled into laughter, taking advantage of the situation to cling tighter to Malik's warmth. Sheer glee tickled the walls of the room until Malik had in the flash of a pan pinned Ryou to the mattress, flecking the giggling face with grin-soaked kisses.

Ryou gained enough of his mind at last to return the playful battle, his arms flying up and pummeling Malik's shoulders. In the next flash, Malik was securely trapped to the bed, a still giggling Ryou straddling his hips. The jagged quavering of Ryou's laughter-possessed body began to thrum rhythmically against Malik's lower abdomen, the younger boy unknowingly driving his koibito to the point where no hot-blooded male could turn back.

Finally, the tormenting kneading on his groin proved to be too torturous and Malik abstained his koi's waist by wrapping his hands around the narrow hips. The younger boy jolted at the sudden contact and stumbled, his hips rocking unexpectedly against Malik's harshly. Choking on a gasp, the Egyptian's eyelids clamped shut, his hands shaking from the frantic hold on Ryou's waist.

"You - you're doing this on purpose," he accused hoarsely, threading his thumbs up and into the curve of Ryou's jeans, drawing them down until the coarse material brushed the small arc of Ryou's back. From there, bronzed fingers made quick work of the zipper, Malik surprised at his adroitness - even at something he had never done before. Well - not in this life anyway.

Mere moments trickled by until the heat of silken, fiery skin made that first contact in this novel way. Ryou maneuvered slightly until his body rested atop Malik's, his arms flanking tanned shoulders while Malik slowly brought his hands from Ryou's waist to his shoulders. All the while he dragged his palms over shivering sinews, taut muscles hidden under that deceptively slender body. Suddenly, Ryou gave a particularly vicious shudder, whimpering into the arch of Malik's neck as his body betrayed him and responded in time to the ragged gasp he let free.

Malik chuckled sparsely at his koibito's attempted stay in naivety and removed the desire easily enough with ministrations of his own. Slowly he slipped his hands from angled shoulder blades and tied one arm around the narrow waist, the other rubbing gently at Ryou's lower abdomen.

A shuttering sigh fled Ryou's lips before he could stifle it and the pretty blush that followed melted Malik's heart. "You're absolutely sure about this?" he asked tightly, reminding his breathing to remain constant when Ryou turned that ember-hot gaze on him, answering through his eyes what he could never say aloud. Malik tilted his head and grinned, returning his blistering mouth to its previous vocation on Ryou's neck.

Ryou groaned and brutally snapped his head back, a feral gleam capturing his eyes before the ivory lashes dotted his high-placed cheekbones. "God, Malik," he choked out, "stop stalling!"

Chuckling, Malik pressed an open-mouthed kiss to his tenshi's shoulder and promised quietly, "I'd never leave you hanging, love."

Ryou grinned and lifted his chest, leaning on bent arms as he nuzzled his hips variably into Malik's. The sharp torrent of sublime bliss returned full force as the delicious length rubbed mercilessly against his own. Malik buried blunt fingernails into Ryou's shoulders, his body arching into Ryou's by its own accord.

Ryou realized too late that Malik had surrendered seme to him. Oh, God. Now what?

Taking tips from stories he had read online (fan fantasy or some such…fantasy…forged…fiction…one of them), Ryou sunk low and began a slow, sensual indulgence on Malik's entirely relinquished body. His silken lips were soft in contrast to the firm muscles he encountered in the Egyptian's toned chest. Before he could reflect too long on the sizzling energy connecting their wants and needs, Ryou plunged predatorily and fixed his hot mouth on a raw nub, his tongue smoothing over the hard gem with calculated sluggishness. Malik's hands somehow found his hair, gripping tightly as a result of the deeper stroking Ryou had begun with his other hand.

Unable to cast the quip building in the back of his mind, Malik settled for a low groan, his hands straining in the silken ivory locks. Capable thought followed capable speech into oblivion as Ryou grazed him with his teeth. Clenching his eyes and jaw shut, Malik managed to grate out, "Now - who's - stalling?"

Ryou giggled, warm breath expelling against his koibito's chest as he lifted his gaze to the accusing lilac glare. Grinning, he delivered a defiant lick to the other bud, retorting, "I'm not stalling. I'm procrastinating."

"Ryou Bakura, you damn tease, if you don't handle this seriously, I'm going to - "

Ryou hovered over Malik's lips, his eyes half-lidded in a countenance of pure lust. "You're going to what, love?" he purred, one hand slowly making its descent from tanned shoulder to abdomen.

Malik shuddered, his eyes wide. "What's gotten into you?" he squeaked, yelping when the torturous hand made a swift pass over his thighs.

Ryou grinned again, feral and seductive. This was not the gentle, sweet-spoken tenshi embarrassed by the mere implications of…sex. Decidedly entertained by the shock in Malik's eyes, Ryou broke down into giggles, cheerfully commenting, "Jou told me that would probably 'scare the psychosis out of' you."

Malik growled and hooked a hand behind Ryou's neck, dragging the smiling lips back onto his. "I told you to handle this seriously," he said, straining to remain severe under the innocent smile reflecting on him.

Ryou kissed him repentantly, tongue sweeping gentle strokes over Malik's bottom lip. Using actions in favor of words, he twined a hand with Malik's, squeezing apologetically. Both were using banter to divert from the significance of this next step and they both knew it, but the need scorching between them wouldn't ebb or fade. The flame needed to be doused or it would drive them crazy…or in Malik's case, crazier.

If Malik had retained any doubt of Ryou's intentions, they were blinded and obliterated when the kiss broke only to resume only breaths away from his navel. Stifling a gasp, Malik delved his hands into Ryou's hair again, ignoring the chuckle that emitted from his playful koibito. Lightheartedly cursing him in some odd combination between Arabic and ancient Egyptian, Malik shut his eyes and buried his head in Ryou's pillow.

Ryou glanced up and smiled at the image, his koibito nearly wincing from holding back the sounds garbled in the hollow of his throat. That could be fixed, thought Ryou devilishly, grinning. Something in the back of his mind berated him for picking up such mischievous habits from the Ring's spirit, but Ryou passed the allegation off as trivial (and shamefully true) and returned to his ministrations.

Malik's face was a puzzle of concentration as his mind grappled to repress short moans as Ryou's lips coursed over his abdomen, leaving the Egyptian's sharp breathing to jolt his chest's motions. The endeavor was promptly lost, however, when the kisses once only scarcely bearably excruciating turned demonic, a sharp cry escaping from his throat as Ryou dipped his tongue into his navel unremorsefully.

Ryou thanked whatever deity looking out for him that Malik eradicated his hands from clutching his hair to wringing the sheets instead. Listening to the harsh breathing with satisfaction, Ryou closed his eyes and began trailing the increasingly sinful kisses lower. All the while growing nearer to the one thing that would cement his love for Malik, Ryou's heart rapidly knocked against his ribcage, his own discordant breathing deafening in his ears.

Malik liked to think of himself as averagely composed, keeping spare emotion restrained if it wasn't needed. This was all nice and good, but it was shot straight to hell when the next step of his pleasurably unbearable torment began. Insufferable heat swathed him, throwing up blinding white where the black of his eyelids had once been. Crying out raggedly, Malik's hands gripped the sheets until his knuckles were shaking and stained colorless at the knuckles.

Too far into his deed to feel the blush spreading across his face, Ryou draped an arm over Malik's hips, firmly keeping the Egyptian from gagging him. Ryou teased the hardening flesh between his teeth mercilessly, grazing with the gentlest of touches. Violent shuddering unfolded over Malik's body, soft cries fleeing his lips before their maker realized the desperate note he was belting out. Ryou kept his misleadingly slender arm on Malik's hips, his mouth working sinful pleasure on the older boy.

The white behind his eyes began to pulsate with the rhythm of his swiftly pounding heart, Malik's cries becoming less and less controlled. The desire inundating his body was nearly strong enough now to drown out the current pleasure nearly blinding him. It wasn't enough, not by half. He needed that sweet release – the vent for the haze clouding his senses. Groaning slowly, Malik felt the edge being reached, the crest of absolute contentment just beyond his reach.

Ryou pulled away.

Cringing visibly, Malik couldn't even find enough of his bearings to pry his eyes open, the true pain augmenting to soul-ripping degrees. "Ry," he choked out, "e-e-even I wou-wouldn't have…."

Ryou panted sharply, his lips somehow searching out and melding solace into the gasping Egyptian mouth. "Shh," he whispered shakily. "I think – think I know…what I'm doing," he gasped.

"You *think*?" cried Malik, his eyes only hardly opening enough to glimpse the flushed angel so close, so sweet in the candlelight emanating from the windowsill. Overcome by the emotion, Malik seized hold of Ryou's neck and pulled a fiery kiss together, his lips attacking his tenshi's with every intention to bruise or at least mark them as his. "I'm only – only forgiving you," gasped Malik when they broke away, "if you finish what you were fucking doing."

Ryou tilted his head down apologetically and grinned, whispering, "If your sister could hear her baby brother now…."

Malik groaned, far past the endurance to deal with coherent banter. "Way to kill the mood, angel," he snapped.

Ryou made up for it tenfold, however, by stealing part of Malik's soul in another heart-baring kiss, his hands steeling on the bronzed shoulders while he held his Egyptian to the mattress. Keeping one hand on the rise of Malik's high-set cheekbone, the ivory-haired tenshi slipped the other down, down….

Malik severed the kiss abruptly, hissing sharply with haze spelled over his eyes. Ryou shied away from his koibito's mouth, his lips making steady contours of indelibly embossed promises on the Egyptian's collarbone. "Aishiteru," he whispered, driving another finger into the taut ring.

Malik strived not to cry out, instead focusing on the almost contrite kisses Ryou rained on his chest. Negotiating with his lungs, the older boy finally managed to rasp out, "Aishiteru, kichou."

The steady rising of the progress he was making began to intimidate Ryou, worries building up inside of him while he wondered whether or not he was truly doing this right. He would never in his life have hurt Malik intentionally, but the deep closed-eyed grimace on his beloved's face couldn't have been representative of anything else but pain. Ryou ceased all movement, his chin reclined hesitantly on Malik's chest.

"Koi?" he inquired softly. "Are…are you all right?"

Malik gave up every fiber of his strength to the action as he reached out to brush Ryou's damp bangs from his forehead. His eyes still shut against the contesting pain and pleasure, Malik whispered, "J-just finish it, kojika. Please."

Ryou smiled and in efforts to lighten the mood smacked a wet kiss onto a bronzed nipple, his teeth skimming the sensitive gem mischievously. Ignoring the simultaneous spell of pain caused by Ryou's other hand, Malik moaned, snapping weakly, "Y-you're not get-getting a-away with – with this, d-damn you."

Ryou didn't answer in words, instead nudging Malik's knees gently with his nose. Through a communicative glance, Malik understood what Ryou wanted him to do and hooked his legs over Ryou's shoulders. This...was going to hurt.

In the windowsill, the candle giggled with flame jumps of glee, fiery eyes scooping in the entire scene shamelessly. Oooh, but that faucet was going to have to eat its tap after this!

Ryou nearly jumped as he remembered something crucial to the whole experience. Snapping free of the kiss, he managed to choke out, "We…it…um…." A furious blush conquered his face, all of the heady passion in his body nothing compared to the embarrassment of the sentence he now had to deliver.

Rolling his eyes with some effort, Malik shifted slightly and seized something Ryou's peripheral vision didn't catch. Instead focusing on Malik's face, Ryou slipped into awe that he had had the Egyptian all to himself for two undivided years. Smiling again in a dopey kind of fashion, Ryou pushed Malik's legs off of him and nuzzled a sweet kiss into the tensely-lipped mouth. Almost immediately Malik's lips parted, the tension vanished instinctively under Ryou's warm caress.

Malik suddenly smirked into the kiss and Ryou had only nanoseconds to wonder why before euphoria dominated all remaining scraps and twinges of sense that might have survived so long into the sinfully blissful exploits. As a delicious revenge, Malik cast deliberate strokes over the hypersensitive length, the oil on his hands bringing near blindness to his poor, unprepared koibito. Suddenly the formerly simple task of keeping upright proved too difficult and Ryou all but collapsed onto Malik's chest. Soothingly, Malik hooked his free arm around Ryou's back, his other hand caressing utopia into the younger boy's bloodstream.

Unable to handle the pressing elation alone, Ryou struggled against Malik's arm and attacked the older boy's mouth keenly. Malik's strokes became tighter and faster, the bliss and waves of scalding heat emanating from the actions driving Ryou to the edge. In the last moments, Ryou broke from Malik's kiss, instead delving his face into the hollow of the Egyptian's sweat-slicked throat and sobbed out Malik's name, his body ferociously shuddering under the looming release. Malik turned his eyes to the angel's face, the expression represented by absolute ecstasy more than enough to push him over the edge.

The time he was allowed for rest was less than brief, however, as his koibito remained torn between heaven and hellish restraint. Following his actions from before, Malik slid his calves on Ryou's shoulders again. Trust was openly written across his face as he brought the source of Ryou's utter discomfort to his entrance. Not in so many words, Ryou asked silently for permission with a half-lidded smile. Malik nodded minutely, enough to approve the next level.

Smiling tensely, Ryou buried his mouth into Malik's, following his koibito's urging to the unwritten letter. At the first incursion, fiery pain flooded Malik's body where sheer bliss had once stood. Reluctant to alarm Ryou more than he already was, Malik bit back the cry he felt tearing through his throat. Instead he waited the pain out, praying to every god he could muster up in his memory that the rumors he'd overheard of this "temporary pain" were true. Otherwise he would impale whomever he had heard it from. Or the first person he saw on the street. Either way worked well enough.

Ryou struggled to keep his actions consistently gradual, seeing easily the pain scribbled across his koibito's face. But the torrents of pleasure, such as the kind he had never in his life experienced, threatened to conquer his self control. Determinedly, Ryou tautly set his jaw, ignoring the feverish need to move.

After what seemed like an age to both, Malik pried his eyes open halfway and the clouded, desperate beaming in his gaze nearly shoved Ryou to release. Now struggling with that dilemma, Ryou waited faithfully, his entire body trembling under the effort of remaining still. Finally, Malik nodded minutely, gathering Ryou deeper into him. The jolt of pleasure raked through both of their spines, initiating a sharp rocking from both sides.

Ryou allowed Malik to set the rhythm, following his established pace with thrusts of his own. The fire raging in the Egyptian eyes beckoned to Ryou's molten chocolate gaze until the younger boy nearly toppled into the prepared kiss. Thoroughly aroused now, Malik groaned against Ryou's mouth, his tongue twining nearly hostilely with his koibito's. The delicious friction of Ryou's lean stomach against his length was driving spikes of pleasure through his body, unbearably brusque and blissful. Malik was nearly drawn to fixing the problem himself when Ryou's hand intercepted his own as he thrust again into the Egyptian heat.

Assaulting Malik's neck with open-mouthed kisses, Ryou nipped possessively at the skin there, his eyes hooded with thickly snow-lashed eyelids. Keeping one arm unsteadily holding his chest a few inches above Malik's, Ryou dropped his free hand to his stomach, capturing the cause of Malik's suffering with a deliberate tug. Malik cried out hoarsely, desperately bucking against Ryou's hand. The younger of the two captured his lips again, his hips driving in deeper to seize that final wave of utter heaven for both.

Caught between paradise and hell, Malik clawed at Ryou's shoulders, his cries joining Ryou's harsh pants as that climaxing force prowled closer and closer. Pounding into Malik with frantic need, Ryou was suddenly drawn in deeper as Malik arched his hips to meet the descending pressure. The crash between them triggered some hidden patch of personal euphoria in Malik, the Egyptian crying out with total rapture. Another clash delivered the same result, a cascade of bliss beating in Malik's ears as he gave out a final sob of Ryou's name and relinquished to his climax.

Ryou smothered a bruising kiss against Malik's lips as the blissful wave crashed down over his head, crying out Malik's name deafeningly as a surf of his own ecstasy filled the sated Egyptian. Then, once more blinded by the sudden brilliance behind his eyelids, Ryou groaned and caved onto Malik's chest. The softness of Malik's kiss to his forehead and the softly whispered, "Aishiteru," were the last things Ryou registered before curling into the protective embrace and succumbing to a desperately needed sleep.

**

Breaking away from the company of his minions waiting in the Bakura household's backyard, Yami no Malik scaled the drainpipe, his intentions unclear to even the most senior of the Heartless. They were to wait until their master returned, kill anything in the yard that moved and gnaw pointlessly on the fence posts. Well, the gnawing part was an added bonus thought up by one of the more addlebrained recruits, but no one saw anything amiss with the idea.

Yami no Malik crept over the slanted roof, catching sight of Ryou's window below. The lack of artificial lamplight emanating from the windowpane was encouraging, but the spirit knew better than to prematurely open champagne bottles of celebration. Dropping down soundlessly onto the windowsill, Yami no Malik discovered the curtains shut haphazardly - only a ribbon of space between the two burgundy cloths.

Smirking with satisfaction, Yami no Malik tightened his grip on the window's top frame and leaned closer to the pane. The door to the hallway was partially open, permitting the barest traces of light into the otherwise darkened room. Frowning, the spirit leaned back precariously and glanced at the first floor's windows. Surely enough, the living room's lamps were glowing, their rays carelessly seeping up the stairs. Upon closer examination of Ryou's room, Yami no Malik caught a shock of white that seemed to be breathing. Knowing it was neither the pillow nor the sheets, he realized instantaneously that he was gazing at Ryou Bakura's unnaturally fair head of hair. …Cushioned on his hikari's very unclothed chest….

**

Malik's soft breath threaded gentle wisps across his koibito's ivory skin, Egyptian mouth pressing indolent brushstrokes on a sinewy shoulder. The older boy drew one arm from Ryou's waist to recline around his damp shoulder blades, fingers prodding the silken skin gently. Memorizing every inch and texture of the almost textile skin, eyes soaking in the purely sated sleeping form of his saiai tenshi. Ryou couldn't have been more precious in this moment…more addictive, more loveable.

Still reeling from the idea of being uke - on his first time, to boot - he found even more to his shock that he didn't mind. Either way, he had shared in something without the accompaniment of bloodshed, sadistic vengeance or bad hair held up by aid from poorly aimed lightning. He had given Ryou something to hold forever in his heart, allowing him the knowledge that there was no dominant half of their relationship. Only equivalence. Plus, now that he'd been uke once, he could be seme for the next ten or so times until Ryou realized he was being duped.

Malik strayed his line of vision from Ryou's smiling lips to the shadows of branches dancing on the wall beside them. Though the curtains were shut, the line that remained dividing them revealed a strong wind outside, emphasized by the tossing and turning of impetuous tree limbs. After watching the wall for several moments, softly stroking his hand through Ryou's hair and nuzzling the angel closer to his chest, he began to drift into slumber.

Until someone landed on the windowsill and barricaded all light from the outside world.

Keeping entirely still, Malik watched as the shadow moved fluidly to examine the room. Following a handful of overwrought minutes, the shadow moved its head to glimpse the bottom floor. Malik shifted Ryou's head from his shoulder to his chest, straining to move his clingy koibito far enough so he could at least lean up on his elbows without disturbing Ryou's sleep.

Slowly rising and putting most of his weight back on his arms, Malik narrowed his eyes at the window. Whoever dared spy on Ryou this late would endure severe disembowelment. No one got away with scrutinizing his koibito anytime. As if responding to this viciously protective mental remark, Ryou snuggled against his Egyptian koneko, his silken white hair covering his profile as he burrowed his face in Malik's shoulder again.

Abruptly, Malik wondered anxiously if the reason behind his immunity to Ryou's saccharine syrupiness was the sugary attitude spreading into his own personality…. The thought was more disturbing than the former Pharaoh with pigtails hosting a tea party with fluffy stuffed animals as guests. …Scratch that, the tea party was worse.

The shadow in the window revealed an anxiously pointed dagger and pressed it to the glass. Too slowly, Malik realized the shadow's intent. Similarly too late to stop the action, Malik shouted an Egyptian curse and flung Ryou to the other half of the mattress, shielding his rudely wakened koibito from the shrapnel. The shadow had marked the dagger's point in the centre of the glass and pummeled a fist into the handle. Instantaneously, the window shattered, sending glass in every direction.

Ryou heard the window shatter and yelped, winded by the sudden impact of Malik unexpectedly crushing his ribs. Entirely disoriented, the ivory-haired boy latched onto Malik's shoulder, the only realistic thing he could get a hold of.

"What's going on!?"

Malik didn't answer, instead lurching off of Ryou and whirling to face the window. The shadow was placing a leg through the open space, the cackling of a maniac twisting around the room like a tempest. What stopped the intruder, however, was neither Malik nor a staggeringly bewildered Ryou, but a stray candle sitting on the inside of the windowsill. The shadow gave a holler of shock as its foot came down on the vanilla-scented candle, its frame jolting before plummeting from the second story.

Exchanging a befuddled look, Ryou and Malik scrambled from the bed and stood side by side at the window. Apart from the remains of the pane, the front lawn was bejeweled with not a corpse, but a cloak and a broken candle.

Ryou blinked as reality began to trickle to life in his mind. "I'm beginning to think someone up there doesn't appreciate yaoi," he said absentmindedly.

Malik nodded vaguely, still bemusedly staring at the front lawn below. "Think whoever it is prefers yuri?"

The door to Ryou's room burst open, Sora and Riku clambering in wild-eyed and panicked. "What happened?!" Sora demanded.

Riku's eyes scanned the room, taking in the macerated glass, the rumpled state the bed was in and the pair of brazenly clothing-less bishounen at the window. Leaning against the doorjamb with a smirk, the ivory-haired teen commented, "You mainlanders have weird kinks," with a shake of his head.

To be Continued…

****

Gemini-2006 - Aww, thank you, but don't castigate yourself. You could very easily be better than I. ;) And no, Kairi won't be appearing in the story. Sorry. She's not necessary for the plot. Malik'sgurl - *Blush* Your reviews are always making me giggle! I'm so flattered, I don't know where to start…thankful, grateful, appreciative, obliged, indebted…. ;) See, thesauruses are awesome tools, ne? Thank you! I had an awesome birthday, just in case you wondered. **The demon Rain** - Yugi and Yami no Yugi? Eep…. I would, I truly would, but I'm not a tremendous fan of the pairing. It's semi-cute, I suppose, but for this story, our fern-headed Pharaoh will be lusting after the tomb robber. ;) Hope you're not disappointed! I'm so glad you like it! *Hugs!* And yes, the chapter five mishap was driving me up the wall as well. Baka formatting. **Pepper Breath **- Hey Sammy-chan! ^_^ Who'da thought I'd make friends through this story, ne? *Waves* Hi Set-chan! Hehe, anyway! Mac 'n Cheese is the epitome of human survival. At least on my end. Hehe. I don't have it all that much, but when I do…. Oh heck, I might as well be five again. ;) Yami no Malik is drugged all right. Hehe. Yeah, you're right. Malik's high on life, his yami is just…high. ^_^ HEHE! Nice idea, I'll have to see if I can fit that in at some point…. Poor Yugi and Ryou though. Ee. Hehe. "…You're not Malik…." "You're not my pillow…." *Giggle* I loved the fanart - it was adorable, as I said before! Hehe, I have fanart…! *Starry eyed* Oooh. Hehe. Don't worry, I love long reviews. **X20Deepx **- Hehe, that you did. My hidden pairing is now open to the public. Yami no Yugi and his tomb robber lover. *Grin* I had to do it. They're one of my topmost pairings on my list of shounen-ai couples. **ExBobble06** - Aww, thanks. ^_^ Don't they, though? I love Ryou…the boy is such a sweetheart. I'm not seeing a pairing for Yugi in the near future, but you're welcome to suggest pairing ideas if you like. ^_^ **Sailor Comet **- Hehe, thank you! And thank you again for the NC-17 warning. I was originally going to post it here, but your logic kicked in. Last thing I want is to lose all this just because of a little yellow fruit. ;) And Yami no Bakura "got some" all right. He may even get description next time! Buaha! Hehehe. ^_^ **Kiirar **- Hai, Sora had better watch the pastries he lands an eye on. Ooh, Tabibito will return. Mark that one on your calendar! ^_^ **Tokemi **- Awww, thank you. *Blush* I saw your little tidbit of my story on your profile and…*turns vivid red* I'm touched beyond words! *Hug!* Domo! I actually commiserate with Sora, though. I'm that cheerful always. Friends of mine try to kill me in the morning because I'm smiling at eight AM. Hehe. It's fun to torture them so, though. ;) Hai, the candle fumes will be the death of Ryou's innocence yet…. ;) And yes, Ryou's hatred of elitists is spreading. Yes, I based the cat place on a kennel I often take my cat to when we're leaving town. It's like a kitty hotel - they get their own luxurious pen and food, water, baths…. I swear, they get pampered more than I do! You know…the tomb robber is so much like a cat that sometimes it really does amuse me to the point of laughter. If you've ever seen Yu Yu Hakusho…I half expect Yami no Bakura to sprout a tail and ears. *Giggle* And Malik's midriff is definitely the appealing factor of Battle City for me. *Grin* Chicago's soundtrack is absolutely one of my favorite CDs. For weeks after I saw the movie, I hummed Cell Block Tango in my head, just praying for it to go away…so when it didn't, I bought the CD. ^_^ Skyler K. Daemon - Aww, I know, isn't it sad? I so love Malik/Ryou…. Why doesn't anyone else?! Hehe, I know. I was wondering if anyone would catch the irony of an Egyptian hating on a cat. You did! ^_^ **Shadow of Death **- Aw, thank you! Yami no Bakura's insanity is endearing to me for some reason…then again, I did just make Ryou seme, so there's not much to be said for my own sanity right now, either. ^_^;; **Jess **- Hehe, it's all right. You're not bad at them at all, actually. Aww, you like it? *Grin* Yay! Again, glad you like my little concoction of fluffy and comedy. Hehe. I know, before this story I was a hardcore Seto/Jou fan. While I still see them as my favorite involving either of those two characters, I can live with them dating others…especially if it's Ryuuji or even Ryou in Seto's case. Hehe. Ooh, you have a Tabibito kitty? Do tell! Random Author Person - Rachel-chan! ^_^ Hehe, it's fun to talk to reviewers off-story. *Poke* I shall convert you to Yu-Gi-Oh-ism, I shall. ;) And I'll even throw in a Ryou plushie to start. Hehehe. **Curunir Elentare Taranimgul **- Hehehe, konnichiwa Set-chan! ^_^ Vampyre Set-kun. Fear him. ;) Ooh, 19 exclamation marks? *Grin* I'm getting fond of these excessive marks! Hehe. *Hands over Sora/Riku kissing plushies* See, like with Ryou/Malik plushies, the magnets make 'em kiss! ^_^ Hehe. Bishie Kissie Plushies © Set-chan. ^_^ **Évaru **- Don't worry about it, hehe. Better late than never, ne? And yes, the pairing should be focused on more. *Sniff* But I'll survive…*lip trembles* Hehe. **Kacie **- Hehe, writing to you! Yami no Bakura is a little off the wall, but he's a loveable (and gorgeous) bishounen, so we can give him slack, ne? **anime AndrAIa **- Aww, you're sweet. ^_^ I have a kitty too, but he's a sweetheart. Shy and adorable…you can assume I didn't base Tabibito on him. Rather Tabi is more like a pet of my friend's. *Shakes head, cringing* That cat should be locked away. Evil thing that it is. It tried to macerate my face because I picked it up wrong. When I was seven. Thank God mine isn't loco like that. Hehe, Ryou's vindictive when he's crossed…and with projectiles in his grasp, you can bet he'll teach you a lesson. Malik should have kept his eyes on imminent danger rather than imminent calves. ;) **ShannonL **- Yay! 'Tis Shannon! I thought you abandoned me. *Sniff* Hehe, just kidding. I'm busy, too. I really should review more, you know? Sometimes it's a little difficult to phrase what you wanna say though without it sounding forced, ne? Hehe. That's me making excuses for myself. *Clears throat* Anyway! Hehehe, Tabibito's not entirely evil, but let's just say that he has a soft spot for Ryou because Ryou resembles a feline a lot more than Malik. The fluffy white hair makes him look Persian-ish, doesn't it? …And welcome to the randomness that is Trei's mind. *Shakes head* Really? I've never seen a story like that…then again, I don't surf around much either. *Sheepish look* Candle x Faucet, hm? …;) I hadn't considered that…. But that definitely has possibilities…. Aw, great, now I'm pairing up inanimate objects as well. *Rolls eyes* Picture of mental health I am not. **malik'sgurl **- Aww, I know that feeling. I had to work on my term paper all this week (part of the reason I didn't have a chance to finish this - yes, more excuses…but it's true!), so I more than understand. It was more than enough just to get a review from you though. ^_^ I love reviews short or long. Though long is preferable. ;) Hehehe. Naw, just messin' with ya. Anything works with me. Hehe. I updated! And gomen nasai…I didn't expect it to take so long. I've got half of the next chapter already written in my head, though, so that should work nicely. ^_^ **Joey's_girl **- Hehe, I had to add that line in. Glad you liked it! So many new people are reviewing, it's surprising. O.O hehehe! elipse - Yes, the candle *is* quite popular. ^_^;; It's surprising…I wasn't even going to put it in another chapter. *Shrug* I guess inanimate characters gain the sympathy vote, ne? Hehehe. **Kurayami Ryuu **- Aww, thanks! And yep, now ya got two plushies! ^_^ Hehe, you're welcome. I love cats, personally…Tabibito just doesn't like Malik. Hehe. Hope you liked the lemon. *Grin* My aunt has nine cats, too. *Shudder* I'd hate to be in charge of feeding. One's hard enough. Hehe.

1 - I'm of the opinion that there are several plot holes in Yu-Gi-Oh and the flashbacks of Egypt provide the majority of them. I won't go into detail right now, but this is one of them. All born in Egypt were dark-skinned, black hair and brown-eyed. Now, Yami no Bakura may have been from another country, but I doubt it. So he was black-haired and brown-eyed just like everyone else. Though I made an exception for Yami no Yugi. He'd look strange any other way. ;)

2 - Athari {ah'thah ree) (actual Egyptian for "scar" - works well with the manga, ne?)

3 - Khetire {kett'eer ay} (more actual Egyptian; roughly translated, it's Egyptian for "haven of Re")

4 - Ore no Myoujou (my Morning Star)

5 - Uke (submissive)

6 - Seme (dominant)

_ 101 reviews! @_@ Aie! I…eep. I…I literally have no idea what to say. Except…*GLOMP!* Squeee! ^_^ I never expected so many! Hehe. Arigatou!

***

If you want, you can provide matches for the dice game. ^_^ It was fun the last time we got voting involved, ne? Hehe. Anyway, this part comes at the end of the chapter, so I have plenty of space to take up. Put as many pairings as you like, as unlikely as you like. In fact, unlikely may be more fun. I haven't decided who else should be there, so if you have a character you want included, tell me! 'Till next time, sayonara!


	7. The Sides of a Lie

Naming the Flame

Trei

Chapter Seven

"Did you know American schools let _their_ students out for three months in the summer?"

"_What_?"

Malik suppressed an ill-timed snicker and said sympathetically, "'Fraid so, bright eyes."

Abandoning the forty-days-neglected homework (1) hastily, Ryou skeptically hovered over his koi's shoulder, eyes narrow as he scanned the website Malik was reading. Tilting his head vaguely, he asked, "What on _Earth_ are you reading American webpages for?"

Malik shrugged. "Because you discarded me for the invigorating world of education…and so I could show off because I can read English and you can't." Smirking impishly, he demonstrated his unparalleled skill and maturity by sticking his tongue out at Ryou.

Said teenager rolled his eyes and for the sake of his wounded pride, muttered, "I can _so_ read English." Reaching over Malik's shoulder, he swatted the Egyptian's hand away from the mouse and dragged the next page up. "'Community by divided are systems school American'…wait, _what_?"

The look of utter confusion on Ryou's face twisted a sharp giggle from the Egyptian, Malik barely concealing enough of his laughter to force out, "L-left to right, Ry, not right to left."

Ryou blushed furiously.

"You didn't do very well in English, did you, koibito?"

"Urusai (2)," Ryou grumbled, stalking back to his homework sullenly. "It's a pointless language."

"Mm, you're right. Why bother learning what more than three quarters of the world already know? Let them speak it for you."

"Exactly. Now quit mocking me and let me finish my homework, you."

Malik grinned and returned to his web surfing. Ryou's forty-day vacation would draw to a close in three days and the abrupt realization of that had wrought absolute terror on the younger boy. Not only had he forgotten to start his homework – he hadn't looked at a textbook or anything even loosely connected to education since July 21st. His panic was shamefully amusing to Malik, as the Egyptian through means of his own personal history was, by his sister's law, permitted to skip the education Japan offered. Ryou, however, had no such fortune. In fact, once his father got back, he suspected school would be his _preferred_ haunt.

"Your birthday's the day after you go back to school," Malik observed after a short time, frowning. "And that's a…Tuesday." Wrinkling his nose, the Egyptian complained, "Who celebrates their seventeenth birthday on a Tuesday?"

Ryou wasn't paying attention, his mind elsewhere as he scribbled out another few words on an essay one of his more creative teachers had assigned titled, "Seventy-Five Words About Your Holiday". Ryou was having a bit of difficulty inventing normal experiences to pen, as his life from age seven to sixteen had been anything _but_ normal. Already in the past three years he had been forced into more comas than he would have preferred to remember, one not so enjoyable experience spent in a hospital while the spirit of the Ring and Malik discussed their plans of homicide and thievery.

…So far, he had written: "Over the forty-day holiday break, I met for the first time my cousin, Riku, who lives on a foreign coastline – " (he didn't imagine writing "Destiny Island" would do much to boost his credibility in that class) " – and his friend Sora."

"Ryou?"

"Hm," he replied absently, wondering whether or not to add in the impending doom about to be introduced by the "rare species of rabid dogs" the newscasters had warned of. He decided against it reluctantly, however, as no one but Sora and Riku seemed to remember the reports.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?"

Ryou shrugged negligently. _Maybe I should talk about my father's latest dig. …Which would work out fabulously if I had any idea about the subject myself…._ "I don't have to celebrate it this year," he said dismissively. "Seventeen isn't as monumental as sixteen or eighteen, anyway."

He neglected to add that for the past four years, he had had neither the time nor the friends to celebrate his birthday as average teenagers did.

Malik made a noise caught between horror and disbelief. "You – you don't _want_ to celebrate it?!" he cried, his alarmed gaze torn from the laptop's screen. "Are you insane?"

Ryou smiled wryly, his head rising from the grueling essay to accommodate the Egyptian's paralyzed gaze calmly. "Given that I'm periodically possessed by a deranged mental case whose sole objective is to thieve every Sennen Item for his own purposes of world domination, koi, I'm appalled that you would even entertain the concept for a moment."

"Yes, well, at least _yours_ wasn't born of the compilation of your darkest hatred and anger that would have otherwise eaten your soul from the inside out. Besides, what's the worst yours has done to you? Mine kicked me out of my own body and abandoned me as a metaphysical spirit left to aimlessly wander the streets alone."

"Don't be so dramatic," Ryou teased. "Don't think I didn't see you floating through people's houses, you nosey little hentai."

Snickering, Malik amended, "Okay, so you know what's happening when yours takes over. That's good to know."

"Yes, because it's so much fun to watch," quipped Ryou with a roll of his eyes.

"I think you've been working too long, kojika…" Malik smiled. "You're starting to pick up sarcasm."

"Maybe you're right," said Ryou with a weary smile.

Lowering the lid of Ryou's laptop, Malik deserted the immaculately made bed (compliments of his denied anally neurotic neat freak tendencies) and traipsed gracefully over to the desk. He leaned forward across his koi's open textbook pointedly and said, "C'mon, you've been stuck on this for, what, four hours? You have three days yet to finish. Besides…." He trailed a hand through Ryou's hair softly. "Once you're in school, we're not going to be able to spend as much time together."

Ryou yawned despite his ebbing determination to finish studying, inclining his head ever so slightly into the warm palm. "All right," he sighed, "you win."

Malik smirked and brushed his thumb just under Ryou's eyelashes. "Don't I always?"

**

Riku's head snapped up seemingly by its own volition as Ryou's hand brushed the knob of the front door. Grinning lazily, the islander asked, "Going out?"

"For two years," quipped Malik dryly, draping an arm around Ryou's neck to punctuate this detail.

While Riku snickered, sleepy azure depths gazed over Riku's arm at the other couple standing in the hallway. Sora yawned languidly against Riku's shoulder and stretched, a remote control dropping from his outstretched hand. Judging by their positions on the sofa, it was stupidly easy to assume how long they'd been resting there – though doing what, Ryou didn't exactly want to know. "Where're you two going?" Sora mumbled hazily to the two in the hallway.

Ryou smiled at Sora amicably and said, "Homework got a little tedious. We were going to get ice cream."

Malik arched an eyebrow. "We were?" he asked skeptically, prodding Ryou's ribs just above where he knew the younger boy to be incurably ticklish.

Ryou muffled a yelp and cast a shocked look at Malik. One silent agreement between them was to keep knowledge of ticklish areas strictly confidential. Apparently Malik was back to his theory of "anything can be justified or at least talked around".

Satisfied with having gained the upper hand over his koi, Malik answered his own question, "Ice cream sounds good." His eyes then flitted from Ryou's childishly appreciative smile to the drowsy pair on the couch. "You two want to come?"

Sora considered the idea contemplatively for a nanosecond before chirping, "I'm in!"

With a little less enthusiasm, Riku yawned, "Sure."

At hearing the consent from his koi, Sora leapt off of his Riku-shaped cushion with all the fatigue of a heavily sugar-induced hyena. When Riku maintained his snug, half-curled arrangement on the sofa, Sora rolled his eyes and threw an apologetic look in Ryou and Malik's direction. "He's not usually like this," he explained exasperatedly, tugging at Riku's slender wrist sharply.

Malik grinned affectionately at Ryou, commenting, "Somehow I know exactly what you mean."

Ryou smiled sheepishly, training his eyes on the abruptly mesmerizing floor. The legitimacy in his smile was brought to life, however, when Malik swiftly brushed a kiss to his cheek.

Moments following the sweet gesture, Sora managed to haul Riku to his feet, the older boy wrinkling his nose against the brutal handling. "C'mon, Sora," he objected. "Quit it with the rag doll treatment."

Sora giggled and brushed Riku's nose with a kiss, latching quickly to the older boy in a brief hug. "But you're _my_ doll."

"Hear my joy," Riku deadpanned. At Sora's sulk, he forced a tired smile and looped an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders.

Malik made a whipping noise. Ryou pinched his neck (where _Malik_ was ticklish) and the Egyptian suddenly reformed again from his old ways.

The street was damp in the shadow of imminent burgundy-daubed storm clouds. Riku and Sora were obviously unsettled by the turbulent sky, but Ryou quickly reassured them that thunderstorms in Japan were no more uncommon than snow in winter. This analogy, however, was lost as well on the two islanders, the two boys blinking uncomprehendingly at their ivory-haired friend.

Malik grinned in amusement as he and Ryou walked alongside the other pair on the street, giving Sora and Riku the sidewalk. Ryou's shoulders moved every now and then with the gestures he wove with his arms, trying to explain the weather to the islanders in a way they could appreciate. Malik paid more attention to his koi's voice than his words, smiling every now and then when Ryou paused to rethink his explanation. It hadn't been too many months ago when Ryou had had to explain _snow_ to him.

"It's just frozen water," Ryou had said, grinning at Malik's wary expression.

"What froze it?" Malik tensed, anticipating to learn of another evil, this time expecting a demon of the sky or the poison-breathing dragon Isis had told him at age six didn't live under his bed.

Ryou had smiled, the corner of his mouth lifting with fondness. "It's the climate, Malik. In winter this part of the world gets very cold because it's not as close to the equator as, for example, Egypt is."

"…So water freezes. Why doesn't it turn to ice?"

"Well…because…." Ryou had wrinkled his nose in an adorable twist of thought, finally admitting sheepishly, "I'm not sure."

Riku's voice interrupted Ryou's stream of enlightenment, thus breaking the melodic atmosphere that had allowed Malik to reflect properly. The islander asked almost the same thing the Egyptian had, "So it's normal for the sky to be that color?"

Ryou smiled with his familiar, distinctive benevolence – the smile that prodded hearts into beating twice their normal rate and melt into pools of scarlet when he laughed. Malik smiled secretively when Sora merely looked on with interest purely in the conversation at hand. He must have _truly_ loved Riku or that smile would have dropped him like a twenty-four hour old fly. Hardly anybody could resist Ryou when he smiled. Least of all Malik, who subtly drew the younger boy's hand into his own then to prove this theory, still giving more concentration to Ryou rather than whatever Ryou was talking about.

Squeezing Malik's hand, Ryou asked Riku, "You never had tropical storms on Destiny Island?"

Sora fielded the question with a taut, "The last time we saw the sky this color on our island, our lives were changed forever."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Way to be dramatic, bijin," he teased.

"Oh, excuse me, Mister 'I'm not afraid of the darkness!'" Sora exclaimed in a high falsetto.

Riku glared. "I don't sound like that," he said flatly.

Ignoring his indignant koi, Sora explained to Ryou and Malik, "The storm was caused by the Heartless and the ones controlling them. Riku had wanted to leave the island and see other parts of the world, so he took the first opportunity to leave that he had handed to him." He looked at Riku with a seemingly renewed peevish expression and soundly whacked his koibito upside his oblivious head.

Riku cried out. "Excuse me! That island was the smallest damn thing I've seen yet! Hawaii was bigger!" he exclaimed.

"_Anyway_," sighed Sora, rolling his eyes patiently, "the darkness may not have scared _him_, but it scared the heck out of me – "

"Hold on a second, Sora," Ryou interrupted as they reached the end of his street. He nodded to the left as his corresponding hand was currently busy drawing patterns on the back of Malik's. "There's ice cream near the arcade," he said, looking to his koi to approve the idea. When the Egyptian nodded affirmatively, he smiled at the islanders and resumed their journey down the left street.

Riku picked up from where Sora had been stopped, "On the island, there was this girl, Kairi. We weren't really sure where she came from, and even when we made friends with her, she told us she couldn't remember, either. But she wasn't from our island, so I had proof that Destiny Island wasn't the only piece of land in the world. I just…I felt so trapped in that one place for fifteen years. I couldn't do it anymore. Living every single day and night on that one patch of land. I had it memorized by the time I was three."

Malik nodded slowly, glancing over and seeing the older boy in a more comparable light. "I know that feeling," he said, thinking back on the home he'd endured for ten years under the harsh sands of his motherland.

Sora and Ryou also shared a glance consisting of rolled eyes, though their understanding was exasperated, as if to sigh, "_Drama queens_".

They paused the conversation as their source of sweets began to glow on the next block. Sora was fairly skipping by the time they got within a few feet. Riku cast a pleading look at Ryou.

"Can't we switch koibitos? I like yours."

Ryou grinned. "Sorry, Riku, Malik's nonrefundable."

Malik glared at him halfheartedly. "There are plenty of second-hand things that are just as good – if not better – the second time around."

Ryou's grin doubled. "Prove it," he whispered.

Malik paused, jaw partially hanging open. It was frightening how certain traits could pass from one lover to the other – his seduction skills, however, had been something Malik had originally intended to keep to himself. Unfortunately, it seemed to have backfired. Though what Ryou was proposing…. "Like Ryou said, nonrefundable."

Sora, oblivious to the conversation, yanked hard on his koi's arm, whining, "Walk faster, Riku! I want my ice cream!"

Riku mouthed, "Why me?" at the sky before nearly tumbling to the sidewalk as Sora broke into a run, his hand still firmly latched onto Riku's wrist.

Casting a smile at Malik, Ryou tugged on the Egyptian's hand and garnered a warning scowl from his koi. _Drag me through the streets and I'll finish you_, his eyes growled.

Ryou smiled. _Try me_, his eyes teased.

__

Already have. Malik winked.

Ryou scowled and slapped Malik's shoulder irritably. "Hentai," he grumbled, pointedly walking a few strides ahead of his wincing koi.

**

The walk home was much blither, the air surrounding the two couples filled with the potent aroma of summer's frozen cream and the night's balmy thrum. On this route, each of the four staked out his own line of the street, trusting his instincts to alert him of approaching cars. Malik's arm lay draped around Ryou's neck, his hand sustaining the chocolate cone his koi was currently devouring like a contented kitten. Sora and Riku were counting the sprinkles on their cookie dough cones and surreptitiously eyeing each other's.

"You have more than me," Riku accused, pointing at the offending ice cream cone.

"I do not! You do!" Sora thrust the cone beneath his koi's nose. "I counted! Fifty-six!"

Ryou paused in his ice cream experience to glance up at Malik and roll his eyes slightly. Malik grinned and lapped a bead of chocolate from Ryou's nose. Ryou crossed his eyes curiously, trying to see what had prompted the Egyptian to lick him.

"Hey, you're making fun of us," Riku sniped, glaring at them over Sora's shoulder. He and Sora spat sulky looks at the cross-eyed Ryou and his laughing koi.

Ryou blinked and shook his head to stabilize his vision. "We are?" he asked dazedly.

"Yes, you are," said Sora confidently.

Riku smirked and bit into his koibito's ice cream while his gaze was distracted.

Belatedly, Sora caught the swift motion and gaped horror-struck at his now crescent-shaped treat. "Hey!" he cried indignantly.

Riku grinned and licked his lips happily. "You're right; I have more."

While Sora strained to knock Riku's cone to the pavement, Malik decided to test his luck and tauntingly drew the cone just out of Ryou's reach.

Ryou swiveled his melting chocolate eyes, doe-like and innocent, to lock on Malik's suddenly frozen lilac gaze. "I want my ice cream back," he whimpered in a decidedly feigned infantile voice.

Despite hearing the teasing note in his kojika's voice, Malik felt his resolve weaken. Grumbling, he averted his gaze and brought the cone back to Ryou's lips. "Brat," he muttered sulkily.

Ryou giggled and tipped his chin up, sweetly kissing Malik's cheek. "Arigatou, kichou!" he chirped, returning to his frozen treat in earnest.

"Yeah, yeah." But Malik was smiling in a somewhat hazy way for the next few blocks.

As they were passing Ryou's school, a sudden flurry of shouting and excited whispers drew the quartet's attention to the field.

"What's going on?" asked Sora, craning his neck to see past Riku's head.

A fairly large throng had gathered at the fringes of the field, forming a thick semicircle around what seemed to be a rather heated lovers' spat. Though the sources of interest were blocked off from view by the crowd, the voices clicked in Ryou and Malik's minds immediately.

"I'm not arguing with you in public, baka."

"You already _are_!"

"Well, I didn't fucking _start_ it!"

Ryou groaned, burying his forehead in his Egyptian's neck. "Jounouchi-kun…."

"And Otogi," added Malik matter-of-factly.

Riku and Sora looked on blankly. "Who?"

Without answering, the other pair began a brisk detour for the field, curiosity winning out over their respect for Jounouchi's and Ryuuji's privacy. But then…what was privacy when one of the involved was a public figure?

Arm still laced around Ryou's neck, Malik began weaving through the crowd, dragging his koi absently along behind him. A few people complained, but upon realizing who they would have to bring their complaints to, fell silent and moved away. The Egyptian noticed this and smiled. At least fear was still good for _some_ things.

Once they had secured a front row position, Malik and Ryou were privy to the more personal aspects of the argument. Jounouchi's hands were tightened into fists at his sides, his eyes narrow and dangerously flashing. Mere feet away, Ryuuji stood with his arms coolly folded over his chest, seemingly only annoyed by his koi's public outburst. Ryou and Malik traded an exasperated look.

Oblivious to his friends' appearance on the scene, Jounouchi raged, "I thought you trusted me!"

Ryuuji's eyes narrowed briefly, his lips thinned. "I did," he snarled. "But that was back when you gave me reason to."

Sensing the deluge of intimate details about to burst, Ryou left the crowd hastily and fled to Jounouchi's side. Grasping the older boy's shoulder urgently, he whispered, "About half of Domino is about to hear every detail of your relationship if you don't get out of here soon."

Jounouchi wrenched away from the smaller boy crossly, glaring daggers at Ryuuji. "I'm not the one that ever cared if people knew," he growled.

Ryuuji's scowl darkened. "Care if they knew what? About us or about you and the dragon's slut?" he spat poisonously.

Their audience began to hum and chatter with assumptions and confusion. Those who had seen Kaiba duel before knew of his fixation with his Blue Eyes White Dragon card - thus made the connection in record time and moved onto frenzied whispering. Though those who knew of this _and_ of Jounouchi's long-standing dislike of said CEO were the loudest gossipers of the lot.

Malik emerged from the voluble masses and twisted his fist in the back of Ryuuji's collar. With an authoritative look at Ryou, he said evenly, "Yugi's?"

Ryou smiled gratefully at him and nodded, twining his arm through Jounouchi's. "Yugi's," he confirmed.

Ryuuji didn't protest Malik's somewhat rough handling, though he _did_ send his fair share of scowls in Jounouchi's direction. Ryou solved this by acting as a wall between them, blocking Ryuuji's aim of menacing looks and Jounouchi's retaliating growls.

Their audience seemed disappointed to see them leave, but with a few particularly violent glares from Malik, they withdrew with a fair amount of enthusiasm. Riku and Sora stood waiting on the sidewalk, finishing their individual ice cream cones off with zealous appeal.

Malik pushed Ryuuji out in front of him and said lazily, "Riku, Sora, Otogi. Otogi, Riku and Sora." To Ryuuji he said, "Riku's Ryou's cousin, Sora's Riku's koi." Then to Sora and Riku he added, "Otogi's a smug son of a bitch with a severe attitude problem. And this is _his_ koi, Jounouchi Katsuya."

Jounouchi nodded his greeting, struggling to maintain the tight hold he had on his temper.

To Ryuuji, Ryou sighed, "What's happened?"

Before Ryuuji could reply, however, Jounouchi barked, "He's accusing me of cheating on him." To emphasize his opinion on this, he scowled acidly at the koi in question.

Malik's eyebrows nearly vanished behind golden fringe. "Is that true?" he asked Ryuuji.

"Hai," muttered the black-haired dice master, folding his arms.

"With who?" Ryou inquired.

Neither replied.

"I'm guessing Kaiba," said Malik after a moment. "Unless by dragon's slut you mean Mai."

Despite the situation, Jounouchi began to giggle. Ryou sighed, "She's not a slut, koibito. Just…overzealous."

Malik waved a dismissive hand. "So, you're screwing a Duel Monsters' champion and the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters." He nodded his mock approval. "Cards, dice…. We going for horseracing next, Jounouchi?"

Ryou yelped and struggled to hold Jounouchi back from mauling his koibito. "He was just kidding!" he cried. "Jounouchi-kun!"

"Don't bother," snapped Ryuuji, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "You can't keep him back from something if he wants it badly enough."

Jounouchi halted in his struggle against Ryou's surprisingly strong grasp and growled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Malik interrupted shortly, "Shut up, both of you. None of us care either way why you two have called off your little nirvana trip. Personally, I could care less. See a couples' therapist."

Ryuuji and Jounouchi stared at the Egyptian in a stupor, apparently unused to being scolded in such a way. Satisfied with their stunned silence, Malik pried Ryou gently from Jounouchi's side and ushered the younger boy down the block. With awkward coughs, Riku and Sora shuffled after them.

As they turned the corner, Ryou heard Jounouchi mutter sarcastically, "If anyone needs to see a therapist, it's you, you deluded baka."

"Fuck off, Katsuya."

"Isn't that what you claim got me into trouble in the first place?"

"…Ugh."

** 

"They're just like a soap opera," sighed Malik irritably as the quartet reached the Bakuras' house.

Ryou smiled patiently and lifted his koi's arm, snuggling under it contentedly. Jounouchi and Ryuuji were the farthest things from his mind at the moment. He paused in the front lawn and tilted his head back, studying the stars with meticulous admiration.

Malik nudged his cheek with his nose gently, earning a heart-melting smile from his adorable koibito. "I can see why they'd fight though…it's not every day one finds someone as perfect as you are," Malik mused with a wink at his thoroughly blushing kojika.

Riku elbowed Sora to a stop, nodding with amusement at his cousin and Malik. "Cute, huh?" he grinned.

"Adorable," the brunet deadpanned.

"See?" whispered Malik loudly. "Even foreigners are jealous of me 'cause I've got the most adorable bishounen right where I want him."

Riku and Sora rolled their eyes heavenward, grinning sheepishly at having been caught.

"Which is where?" Ryou inquired, tilting his head.

Malik tightened his hold possessively. "Right in my arms, where he's supposed to be."

Sora jabbed Riku's ribs. "Look, Ryou's melting!"

"Aww. Lovely sap," agreed Riku, starry eyed.

"But, you know, if they're happy now, something's going to ruin it," Sora added.

"Yeah, like Malik gets killed in a freak ski accident in the Swiss Alps."

"Or Ryou falls off a horse in the Kentucky Derby."

"Or Malik'll have an affair with Ryou's long lost sister."

Sora's eyes widened in appreciation. "Ooh, that's good," he said approvingly.

Riku nodded solemnly. "Yes, and she's ten years older than Malik, but they don't care because she can love Malik in a way that Ryou never can, because she's wiser and more experienced."

Sora jumped in, "But she has a son by her old boyfriend that works at Starbucks who wants to kill Malik for stealing his woman."

"And Ryou gets in the way trying to save Malik and he gets shot and blinded!"

Ryou blinked, dizzy by the tragic twists that his life was supposedly about to take. "How?"

Sora and Riku scowled at him warningly, quickly recovering their tangent as soon as Ryou had squeaked and burrowed deeper into the crook of Malik's arm.

"So Ryou falls in love with the Starbucks guy."

"He tried to kill me!" Ryou protested.

__

/So did your beloved over there,/ cackled a voice from between Ryou's ears.

Ryou chose not to answer that.

Riku continued sadly, "But the guy is in love with Malik – "

"Didn't he originally try to kill Malik because he was dating his old girlfriend?" Ryou interrupted again, warily.

" – So when Ryou confronts the guy with his undying love, he finds him and Malik on the boardwalk locked in a fiery embrace!"

"And Ryou has a heart attack and dies on the spot!"

Ryou looked stricken.

"And Malik sees the error of his ways and jumps off the boardwalk and drowns!"

The islanders paused a moment and traded twin Cheshire grins. "_These _are the Days of Our Lives," they observed sagely. Moments before tumbling over each other in fits of laughter.

Ryou and Malik wore blank expressions.

Finally, Malik blinked owlishly. "I don't even _drink_ coffee."

**

Ryou ran to pluck the frantic phone from its hook as soon as he entered the kitchen, ending the endless string of what sounded like a goose in its last death throes. With the continued bickering of Riku and Sora in the background, the white-haired boy gasped, "Moshi moshi?"

"Bakura-kun!"

Ryou smiled as cool oxygen began flooding his lungs. "Hai, hello, Yugi-kun."

Malik entered the kitchen covering his ears, futilely straining to block the noise the islanders were obliviously causing. He cast a beseeching look at Ryou, pleading him with his eyes to effectively shut his cousin up.

Smiling apologetically, Ryou shrugged and tuned into what Yugi was saying.

"Mou hitori no boku says the tomb ro - your other side told him about…well…." Yugi hesitated, clearly anxious about discussing possible world destruction over the phone. "Maybe we can talk about this in person?"

"Sure. When?"

"Hmm…we can meet at the shop tomorrow - oh! And Bakura-kun?"

Ryou tilted his head away from the door where Malik was noisily barricading Riku's and Sora's entrance with the legs of a stool. "Hai, Yugi-kun?"

Yugi's voice lowered conspiratorially. "Did you hear about the argument between Otogi-kun and Jounouchi-kun?" he asked.

"OW! Ryou! Your boyfriend just stabbed me with a chair leg!"

"It's a stool, you coconut fruitcake!"

"Landlubber!"

Ryou cupped a palm over the phone and bellowed, "_SHUT. UP_!"

Malik dropped the stool in shock.

"Bakura-kun? Bakura-kun!"

Shooting a final warning look in the trio's direction, Ryou returned his focus to the boy on the other end of the line. "Hai, Yugi-kun, I did. I was there."

"Well, Jounouchi-kun is visiting as well to get his mind off of it - do you mind?"

"No, not at all."

A sigh of relief. "Arigatou, Bakura-kun. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"See you," confirmed Ryou and hung the phone on its hook. Turning then to the doorway, he frowned on the islanders and his koibito.

Adapting a charming smile, Malik lifted the stool from the floor and replaced it beneath the lip of the island. Riku merely laughed nervously and inched behind an equally anxious Sora.

Ryou sighed and exasperatedly addressed the heavens, "My life could be an American sitcom."

"Or a soap opera," added Riku helpfully.

"Urusai, Riku."

"Huh?"

"_SHUT UP_!"

"Oh, right. No problem."

**

"I'll go with you."

Ryou yawned in protest and blindly nuzzled deeper into the curve of Malik's neck, his argument successfully delivered. The sun was fizzling in through the open window, a wave of butter coating the walls gold. The light made the smooth play of skin on his Egyptian koi's collarbone shimmer like the jewelry his ancestors once wore. A perfect beginning to what the cloudless sky promised to be an equally perfect day.

That is, if Malik would keep his mouth shut for more than a few seconds at a time.

"I want to come," the Egyptian insisted. "There's nothing to do here."

Ryou groaned; it was far too early for this. "Watch TV with Riku and Sora," he mumbled, seeking darker refuge in the hollow of his koibito's throat.

Gagging slightly at the sudden weight on his windpipe, Malik croaked, "But they watch soap operas!"

"Deal with it," growled Ryou, nipping the sensitive skin his mouth was pressed against. "Let me go back to sleep."

"Ow," complained Malik sullenly.

Ryou smiled slightly and turned his face away from the sun, his ear resting just above the Egyptian heart. At the sound of Malik's pulse so close to him, Ryou felt his ritual morning annoyance melt away and said patiently, "I don't want you getting into an argument with Jounouchi-kun or Yugi-kun while I'm there."

"So, you don't mind if I get into a fight with them when you're _not_ there?"

Ryou's eyes widened, his head rising of its own accord to gape incredulously at his koibito. Malik's lazy smirk graced his disbelief. Frowning adorably, Ryou squelched his easily set off shock system and whined, "My deductive skills don't work this early! That wasn't funny!"

Malik crossed his arms behind his head and considered. "Yes," he said decisively, "yes it was."

Ryou's frown deepened, impenetrable eyes dark with inexplicable innocence. Against his will, Malik felt the corners of his mouth lift into an adoring smile. Ryou might as well have been sugar personified for all the good he was doing Malik's already problematic folly when it came to the younger boy. In fact…Malik slipped a palm to the back of Ryou's neck and pulled him close.

Ryou curiously tilted his head. He could feel the thrill of warm breath against his face as Malik reported, "Your hair smells like vanilla. And honey. You're hiding your good shampoo on me, aren't you?"

"_Nani_!?"

Malik grinned and threaded his fingers admiringly through Ryou's hair. "Like silk," he smiled. "Or those really soft feathers they use for pillows."

Smiling contentedly under the warmth of Malik's loving touches, Ryou cushioned his head on the older boy's shoulder. "I know what you're doing…and you're still not coming with me," he grinned.

"Oh, yes I am."

Ryou arched an eyebrow, looking up at Malik with a sleepy frown on his face. "No, you're not."

"Yes. I am."

"What makes you so sure?" Ryou challenged stubbornly.

Malik smirked and maneuvered his way out from under the smaller boy, flipping Ryou easily onto his back. Gazing down smugly at his koi, he grinned, "This."

Ryou realized too late what Malik had planned and only managed a small, "eep!" before the older boy had successfully brought his lips down on his own with a vengeance. Ryou surrendered giddily, entirely gung ho about defeat in this particular case.

"I win?" asked Malik once they had parted.

Ryou smiled dazedly. "You win," he agreed.

**

"You may want to consider getting in the habit of leaving a note before you abandon your guests."

Ryou and Malik paused halfway down the staircase and guiltily looked over their shoulders at the islander standing with his arms crossed on the platform above. "Gomen ne, Riku," said Ryou sheepishly. "We aren't trying to abandon you or anything."

Riku's eyebrows slightly arched. "Really," he said flatly, obviously not convinced.

Malik grinned. "No, only Sora," he quipped.

"I heard that, caffeine boy!" echoed Sora's voice from the guest room.

Malik's gaze narrowed in annoyance. "I hate soap operas," the Egyptian grumbled.

Riku reached behind him and closed the door to the guest room with a warning look at Sora before descending the stairs. On his way passing his cousin and Malik, he said breezily, "I'm going out anyway; I'll walk with you."

Ryou sighed loudly. Was it so much to ask for a few moments to oneself?

He felt a sharp prod in his back. "Move it," said Malik kindly, "or I'll carry you down."

Rolling his eyes and mumbling to himself about "personal space", Ryou followed Riku out of the house.

**

Wherever Riku had been planning on visiting would be kept waiting for a few hours, Ryou predicted the moment he saw Mai gawking in the doorway at the suddenly awkward islander. Immediately the blonde girl livened and said silkily, "Coming inside, boys?"

Malik shuddered and backed up a step behind Ryou. Since the conclusion of Battle City and the truce between Yugi and Malik, Mai had warmed up to the Egyptian. _More like scorched up to_, thought Ryou darkly, drawing nearer to his own blond possessively.

Luckily, however, Mai seemed totally uninterested in both Ryou and Malik, taking Riku's arm the moment he cautiously stepped through the doorway. "You're not from Domino, are you?" she asked with a smile.

Riku slipped his arm from hers, answering somewhat coldly, "No, I'm not."

Mai's smile tilted into a grin. "I didn't think so. Bakura-kun's the only one around here I've seen with hair so light." Breaking Riku's slightly unnerved gaze, Mai tossed a lazy wink at Ryou.

The white-haired bishounen blushed and quickly looked away.

Malik frowned and asked pointedly, "What are you doing at Yugi's, Mai?"

The older girl shrugged flippantly, her full attention now focused on the compilation of new meat walking beside her. "Yugi borrowed my math textbook. Anzu, Jounouchi and Otogi are here as well, but I don't know why they're here."

Any further questioning was ended as they reached the back room where the four teens were spread out in lazy comfort. Yugi ended his inspection of the Sennen Puzzle and leapt up from the couch as soon as they entered. "Bakura-kun!" he said with a touch of anxiety. "I need to speak to you."

Ryou nodded and smiled reassuringly at Malik, whose face had suddenly lost all color at the prospect of being left alone with several people he had previously tried to kill or use as tools in his journey to total world domination. Ryou considered suggesting he play twenty questions to get to know them better before deciding the inhumanity of that particular scenario could and in all likelihood _would_ ruin his koibito's ego.

To the others who were now curiously inspecting the newcomers, Ryou said, "Konnichiwa, minna-san," politely and gestured to Riku. Perhaps with Riku here, they would be less concerned with Malik's presence. "This is my cousin, Riku."

Jounouchi took it upon himself to play host in his best friend's home and said, "Nice to meet you, Riku. I'm Jounouchi. And this is Anzu, Mai and Yugi."

Ryuuji, who had otherwise ignored everything surrounding him, growled from his tense position leaning against the back wall.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "That's a pain in my ass," he said dryly.

Whatever comeback Ryuuji spat at Jounouchi was lost to Ryou's ears as Yugi dragged him into the shop itself by his wrist. Slightly panicked, Yugi hissed, "We know what Yami no Malik is after!"

Ryou recoiled in surprise. "So soon?" he stammered. "How?"

Yugi shook his head, looking irritated with himself. "No, gomen, _I _don't know what he wants," he amended. "Mou hitori no boku does."

"How did he find out?"

Yugi shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. He only told me to call you over here so he could discuss it with you personally. I don't know why he wants you involved…I think it may have something to do with the Sennen Items again, though."

Ryou sighed. "And I suppose we can't talk with everyone else here?" he guessed.

"Hai," confirmed Yugi with a wince. "Gomen ne, Bakura-kun. I didn't think Otogi-kun and Anzu would visit…."

Ryou smiled bracingly. "It's all right," he lied. "We'll have time to talk later, ne?"

Yugi nodded. "But mou hitori no boku wanted to speak to you today…he says it's urgent that you know what Yami no Malik is after."

"So, what do you suggest?"

"We have to distract the others until they have to leave."

Ryou frowned. "How do we do that?"

**

"It's called Ten Side Kiss," said Mai as she turned the ten-sided dice over in her palm with a carnivorous smirk.

Yugi and Ryou exchanged an uneasy look. When they'd asked Mai if she knew of any party games that they could play for a few hours, she had assured them that she had a perfect game in mind. "And best of all, it doesn't involve cards or permanent entrapment inside of a shadow hell," she'd added with a pointed look at both guilty duelists.

"The game only has two rules," Mai continued, either oblivious to or ignoring Ryou and Yugi's discomfort. "One, the kiss has to be mouth-to-mouth. None of that cheek bullshit. And two, _no kissing between already established couples_!" She eyed Ryou and Malik sharply. Both coughed subtly.

"How do you play?" asked Anzu curiously, neatly tucking her legs underneath her as she sat beside Yugi on the floor.

Mai began tossing the dice up into the air and letting it fall back into her palm lazily. In reply to Anzu's question she explained, "Choose a number from one to eight, since there are eight of us here. Someone rolls and whatever number they roll is the person they have to kiss."

Anzu reached behind her and took a notebook from the couch. "Anyone have a pen?" she asked. Ryuuji handed one to her, his expression somewhat intrigued in the concept of the game. Anzu wrote in large letters at the top of the page, "TEN SIDE KISS NUMBERS". After a moment she looked up and said, "Yugi-kun, you're one; Mai, two; Jounouchi-kun's three; Malik, four; Otogi-kun, five; Bakura-kun, six; Riku, seven and I'll be eight."

"What about nine and ten?" asked Riku.

Mai shrugged. "Roll again if you get either."

"This is stupid," growled Jounouchi. His mood had dropped significantly from its usual cheer to dangerous moodiness. It might have had something to do with the idea of his koi kissing anybody else, too, Ryou thought with a smile.

He and Yugi had told Jounouchi, Ryuuji and Malik of their plan to divert Anzu's and Mai's attention from anything suspicious regarding the Puzzle or Ring holders in case they needed to leave at some point - the pharaoh was somewhat less than patient when it was his schedule on the line.

Ryuuji took the die from Mai and studied it for a moment. "I'll play," he said calmly.

"Hold on," interrupted Jounouchi, eyeing his raven-haired koibito skeptically. "You're actually agreeing to this?" His voice was teetering on hysteria.

Ryuuji cast a swift, meaningful glance at Anzu and Mai before replying smoothly, "Hai. Why, Ka-Jounouchi-kun, you have a problem with it?" His chilled eyes dared Jounouchi to confirm the statement.

"No," snapped Jounouchi, emotions tightly focused on pure annoyance now. "I just don't want to end up kissing you."

If the barb stung Ryuuji in any way, the dice master didn't display any evidence of it. Instead, he gathered the dice into his hand and scrutinized the circle. After a moment of calculation, Ryuuji's lips quirked into a grin and the dice flew at Malik's head. "Feel lucky, Ishtar?" he taunted, his eyes sparkling.

Malik caught the white cube without much of an effort, snatching it straight out of midair. Without so much as a glance in Ryou's direction, he said, "I'd rather stay out of your hentai sports, Otogi," and carelessly flung the dice back at its original pitcher.

Ryou smiled minutely across the circle, catching the lilac gaze gratefully. Malik winked at him, grinning.

Their comfort, however, was stripped to oblivion when the diminutive sound of _clickit_ obliterated the silence. Malik's gaze snapped to the dice resting at Ryuuji's feet, the ebony-haired boy's hands risen behind his head and a feral smirk on his face.

"You heard the rules, Ishtar," Ryuuji said smoothly. "The dice was rolled, whether it was intentional or not. You have to kiss whoever's number that dice landed on. Still feel lucky, punk? Do ya?"

Riku wrinkled his nose distastefully. "This should be all the more insulting considering I spent the first fifteen years of my life on a remote desert island…. Your _Dirty Harry_ impression sucks like a sandhole, Otogi."

Ryuuji ignored him frostily, his eyes scanning the reluctant Egyptian across from him. "Come on, Malik," he said in a slightly mocking tone, "you had no qualms with enslaving the world and bending the wills of nearly everyone you met…and you're scared of a kissing game?"

Ryou rolled his eyes patiently, interrupting with a quiet but firm, "Leave him alone, Otogi-kun. He's more than paid for what he did."

Malik smiled tenderly at him, a vivid contrast from the smug grin he shot at Ryuuji afterward.

"Come _on_," urged Mai. "Stop stalling!"

Anzu looked from face to face, finally coming to rest on Yugi's. He was smiling at her, vaguely, with a slight blush on his cheeks. Hiding a smile, she said, "I don't think I want to play, guys."

Yugi's blush deepened. "You don't have to if you don't want to, Anzu."

Mai groaned loudly. "Who _cares_? Ishtar's turn. Stop postponing the inevitable, Ishtar."

Malik smirked in Mai's direction. "I wouldn't be so eager, Mai. The majority of your eye candy aren't exactly following the morals of the straightened arrow."

Snickers broke out from the circle.

This seemed to delay Mai in her eagerness, eyes sweeping the bishounen around her with a sudden awareness. A fair eyebrow arched. "Exactly who here is at least bisexual?" she asked skeptically.

Riku and Ryou raised their hands.

Malik's eyes widened. "You are _not_!" he snapped, reaching over and pinning Ryou's arms to his sides.

Ryou smiled sheepishly.

"Don't make me prove it," Malik threatened.

Ryou ducked his head slightly, feigning guilt. "Gomen nasai, koibito," he said softly, smiling with adorably childish innocence.

"You are not," grinned Malik. Then, before anyone could object that the Egyptian was taking the time to stall, he pressed a fervent kiss into his koi's softened lips, smiling when Ryou's struggled attempts at demureness promptly collapsed under the observably affectionate feat.

Thoroughly ignoring the augmenting gripes from their audience, Ryou grinned and locked his arms around Malik's neck, drawing the other boy nearly into his lap. The impromptu party would have ended at a fairly awkward note at the rate the two teens were driving for, had Jounouchi not chosen that moment to wrench Malik from Ryou's embrace.

Ryuuji's arms were folded, a smirk on his lips while Ryou strived to reestablish a routine breathing pattern. "What number did you roll, Ishtar?" he asked condescendingly, as a teacher would to a disobedient pupil.

Malik was grinning flagrantly, breaths harshly moving in and out. "Six," he said.

"What number is Bakura-kun?" Ryuuji continued slowly, his smile patronizing.

Ryou joined in Malik's mischievous grin, chirping, "Six."

Ryuuji's face fell. "Oh."

Mai let out an exasperated growl. "Oh, you idiots can't do anything right!" she cried. Turning on Ryou and Malik, now seated comfortably close, she snapped, "Rule number two, you _cannot_ kiss anyone you're dating!"

As Malik opened his mouth to retort, Ryou smiled his soul-melting smile and said, "Gomen ne, Mai…."

The corner of Mai's lips twitched upward, the blonde struggling to remain stern. Finally she gave in and allowed a tiny smile, sighing, "Oh, damn it. He's too cute." She thrust the dice at the cherubic teen, gaze thrown at the ceiling exasperatedly.

Ryou giggled and caught the dice, snuggling under the arm Malik had draped over his shoulders before dropping the ten-sided cube onto the floor. Both light-haired boys' eyes widened when a wine-colored three fell facing the heavens.

Jounouchi was still watching the dice expressionlessly by the time every gaze had drawn to him. Blinking under the weight of their stares, the blond looked up bewilderedly, asking, "What?"

Ryuuji was fuming as Riku grinned, "It's you."

Malik stiffened, looking from Ryou, who was blushing furiously, to Jounouchi, whose face was just now beginning to shine with understanding. And a sweatdrop.

Mai smirked, rubbing her palms together in a decidedly malicious manner. "_Finally_, it gets interesting," she grinned. She clapped her hands with authority and said, "All right, boys, you heard the rules. The game officially begins now. Kissers, you must remain in liplock with the subject of your bane or pleasure for a minute exactly." She waited for her watch to hit 4:31:00 and said, "You may begin."

Jounouchi wrinkled his nose and whispered to Anzu, "Is it just me, or does Mai remind you of the substitute teacher from hell?"

"_NOW, JOUNOUCHI!_"

Yelping, Jounouchi was shoved into the center of the circle. Riku pried Malik's arm from his koi's neck and mercilessly heaved Ryou before the blond. Both blushing furiously, Jounouchi and Ryou slowly drew their eyes up to meet. Ryou's smile turned upward in a nervous curve.

Malik folded his arms crossly, his fingers drumming a requiem for the creator of this game. Ryuuji's green eyes were burning jealously.

Mai and Anzu exchanged a giggle. "Kiss!" they shouted gleefully.

"You sure you don't mind?" Jounouchi asked, pushing a golden tassel out of his eyes.

Ryou shook his head, glancing at a red-faced Malik with growing amusement. Grinning, he whispered, "On the contrary…I think it'll be fun."

At Jounouchi's look of shock, Ryou giggled and averted his gaze to Ryuuji, whose scowl hadn't left the white-haired teen once. Jounouchi glimpsed his koi and twisted the corners of his mouth to form a mischievous smirk. Fun could definitely be possible here.

Just when the circle thought Malik's and Ryuuji's fury couldn't augment any further, Jounouchi leaned in and pressed his lips in earnest to Ryou's. Malik buried his fingernails into his palms, his teeth gritted almost painfully on the insides of his cheeks. Ryuuji merely folded his arms and scowled imaginary holes into Ryou's head. Yugi and Riku scooted away from the livid pair, eyebrows raised.

Jounouchi heard a sharp snort from Ryuuji and smirked, lacing his arms around Ryou's waist. Drawing the younger boy closer, he deepened the kiss. Ryou started at the sudden feel of his friend's tongue tracing his lower lip, but did nothing to push him away.

"All right, that's enough!" Malik bellowed, reaching into the middle and roping his arms around Ryou's waist. With a sharp jerk, Ryou yelped and found himself incarcerated in his koi's lap. The Egyptian growled at Jounouchi over Ryou's shoulder, his arms squeezing his koi's waist possessively. "Mine," he spat and nuzzled Ryou's cheek with a sulk.

Mai giggled manically and choked out, "Sixty seconds exactly. R-roll, Jounouchi."

Jounouchi turned to Ryuuji with a smirk and crawled back to his spot beside Mai. The dice master grumbled something under his breath and tossed the dice to Yugi. "Roll, Yugi-kun," he muttered.

"It's Jounouchi's turn," objected Mai as she came down from her laughter-induced high, frowning.

Ryuuji scowled hellfire at her.

Mai cleared her throat and pulled out an emery board, suddenly fascinated with filing her nails.

Yugi thought it best to accept the new rules and pitched the dice into the center of the circle. He glanced at the faces surrounding him, somewhat uneasy about kissing any of them. A sudden burst of laughter erupted and Yugi blinked, returning his gaze to the dice.

Two. Mai.

The blonde grinned and began to move into the circle when -

"Wait!" Riku said, lying a restraining hand on Mai's shoulder.

The dice began to tremble and abruptly flipped to six.

"FOUL!" yelled Malik.

"Oh, shut up," Mai snapped, "this isn't hockey."

"It's not fair! First that damn candle, now this! It's a shapeshifter!"

Ryou tried to push out of Malik's arms but was immediately met by another lung-crushing embrace. "No!" the Egyptian snapped. "I've had enough of this game. Roll again, Motou."

"It's the rules!" Ryuuji argued, grinning.

Jounouchi tilted his head curiously. "No offense, Bakura, but you're starting to become the circle slut."

Malik chucked a quite full soda can at the other blond, scoring a bruising hit between Jounouchi's eyes. "Baka," he growled.

"Thank you, Malik," Ryou smiled.

"He's _my_ slut."

"_MALIK_!"

"C'mon, Ishtar, let him go," Mai sighed. "It's _Yugi_. The kid's barely _heard_ of kissing. He's not going to take advantage of him, let alone make out with him."

Yugi frowned crossly. "I know what kissing is," he muttered.

"Then do it!" Mai planted her hands on Yugi's back and flung the boy headfirst into the circle.

Ryou squirmed out of Malik's death grip with surprising strength, giggling, "Don't be jealous, love."

"I have a damn right to be," grumbled Malik, though he did allow Ryou out of his arms - albeit reluctantly.

Ryou smiled apologetically at Yugi and decided to make the kiss as innocent as possible in the sixty seconds they had. Poor Yugi's face was redder than the flame in his hair, his embarrassment written in bold ink across his guilty movements.

"Go," said Mai, poising her watch.

Ryou glanced at his sullen koi with a giggle and rested a hand on Yugi's shoulder. Innocently, he pressed a kiss to the other boy's lips.

Which was exactly the point Yami no Bakura and Yami no Yugi commandeered control over their Item holders' bodies. (3)

**

To be Continued…

1 – In Japan, students have a forty-day break in summer from mid-July to September. During that time, they are assigned various subjects of homework.

2 – Urusai (Shut up)

3 – Written for Sammy-chan, hehe. ^_~

****

Sailor Comet – Hehe, I'm glad you gave me the suggestion. ^_^ Well, there had to be a REASON that Malik would hand over control. Like a basic contract that he would retake the reins the next ten or so times. ^_~ And I did _not_ kill the candle! The title would be null if I did. *Grin* That's as much hint as you'll get for the reason behind the title, hehe. And yes, Psycho Pharaoh and Whimsical Tomb Robber appeal to me for some reason…. While it's nice to picture Yami no Bakura as sane…he's not! Hehe. Any bishie who finds no problem with driving his hand through a steepled tower is, as you said, a few cards short of a deck. But that's why we love him, ne? **Darkest Side of Death **– Love the penname. ^_~ Hehe, I apologize for the trailer's meanness. But it kept your interest, ne? Gomen, I won't do it again. ^_^ I'm quite glad you enjoyed it. Enraptured, really! Hehehe. I'm a feedback-a-holic, could you tell? **Pepper Breath** – Ryou and Malik practically _are_ one in this story. ^_^ Well, Jou and Ryuuji are an explosive pairing…they're pretty much two negatives…they repel when forced together. Hehe, sorry, I had a chem. test today and it's still buzzing in my head. Hehe, I'm a big fan of Darkshipping (more a fan of Angstshipping, but I didn't think that was so obvious, did you? ^_~). It's been one of my favorites since discovering this anime. Hehe. *Grin* I plan to use Malik's somewhat dominating naivety of most social places to my advantage, so the theater was only a preview of things to come! I was actually a little tentative about the lemon, but I'm glad it got such a positive response. I wanted to cement their relationship before they took that step. It was a little fast, but then again, they were already dating for months. Besides, you can't really keep bishies like that in check for long, now can you? ^_^ Gomen, but I don't do shoujo-ai. I'm beginning to warm up to het again, but I'm afraid shoujo-ai isn't in my future. **Wildcard** – Eep, don't hate me! ^_^ I know what you mean, though. I was laughing so hard at a Yu Yu Hakusho fiction that my parents actually heard me from downstairs and climbed the stairs just to see why I was breaking my ribs laughing. Then I told them about the scene I was reading and they slowly backed away and retreated. Hehehe. I believe they think I'm clinically off. ^_^ Of course…I think I am, too. Hehe. Poor bishounen. ^_^;; Good thing they're not real or they'd hunt us down. **The demon Rain** – Hehe, glad you enjoyed it! I've never actually liked Yami no Yugi/Yugi. It's never seemed a viable pairing. I guess it could be, but I never have. My mind works in odd ways. Especially if I can see Jou and Ryuuji as a plausible pairing, ne? Hehe. **Blondie the Black Sheep** – Hehe, it's all right. Ne, as long as you review eventually! ^_^ Glad you enjoyed it! And you got your Mai/Ryou. Hehe. Poor dears. *Shakes head* **malik'sgurl** – You're the second to be caught laughing at my story! ^_^ Feel proud! Hehe. Aww, you're too sweet, really. But it's _so _appreciated. My opinion of the story boosts whenever you review. ^_^ **Taito-kisses** – Well, like I said, as long as you review eventually! ^_^ And thank you! Hehe, the candle is a regular celebrity around here! **Shenya** – It _was_ long, wasn't it? And with each chapter, I've noticed they're getting bigger. Maybe it's a new style of fiction? The chapters get progressively longer? I would enjoy that…! **anime AndrAIa** – Hehe, well, you _are_ sweet! Oh, I _love_ _Monty Python_. Especially the _Holy Grail_! "You've got two coconuts and you're bangin' 'em together!" "So?" Hehehe! I haven't seen it in _so_ long…. Well, I have a new project! I love _Dirty Harry_, hehe. I saw it when I was…sheesh, twelve? It was beyond funny to me at the time, because I grew up hearing those lines. And I'd start parroting them during the movie while my poor parents struggled to pay attention to the movie and not me squawking, "Do you feel lucky, punk? DO YA!?" Oh, I have plans for our beloved CEO – trust me. ^_~ Aww, I love to hear people like my story. ^_^ It makes all the toil and effort worth it. Hehehe, yes, Ryou isn't good to cross…especially not in matters of the heart, ne? ^_^ *Blush* Favorites list? Eep! I'm…wow. I'm honored! ^_^ Arigatou! **Tokemi (formerly Youko Duet ^_~)** – Oh, I've seen that list! I've even done that once. ^_^ The poor Wal-Mart patrons thought I'd lost my mind. Until a really cute employee started laughing and said, "You're doing the list thing!" ^_^ Acting like you've lost your mind in public really _is_ a lovely way to catch boys. Hehehe! *Blush* You haven't, actually, but I'm flattered that you think so! My portrayal of these characters is really important to me. Hehe, I'm very much interested in ancient Egypt, even before Yu-Gi-Oh! The culture fascinates me. His _mother_?! ^_^;; You can call me Trei-chan; -sama's a little too respectful for me, ne? Hehe. ^_^ I love your reviews, by the way. **Jess** – Hehe, it's all right. Laziness is a sin, but not in here. *Cough* Because I really can't talk about laziness. ^_~ Hehe, Yami no Bakura _is_ a lunatic, but isn't it better that way? Ryuuji has an awesome name, ne? You know…in some cases, the Japanese names are easier to spell. Yugi or Yugii or Yuugi…. Well, okay, it only works for u's and i's. *Grin* I tried. ^_^ Even saying you'd add me to your favorites if you had one is enough for me. I'm flattered! ^_^ And Seto _will_ be returning, don't worry. Kaiba's got unfinished business…and business he hasn't even begun yet! **Kiirar** – Hehe, sorry about the wait for the last chapter, but it couldn't be helped. Procrastination and school are two very addicting and overwhelming drugs. And the dice game proved to be…very entertaining, to say the least. ^_^ **EnkiduII** – I appreciate the review just the same, arigatou! ^_^ Hehe, well, I had to catch attention with the prologue! Besides, this is one of my milder fics. Usually there's more action. Hopefully I can sneak more in this one. ^_^ Hehe, glad you liked the lemon – and the story in general! It's such a shame how low in quantity Angstshipping is. I prefer it to all shounen-ai couples! Though Hiei and Kurama make very good competition in that area…not to mention Riku and Sora, Touya and Yukito…. ^_~ Better stop before I start a whole list, hehe. **Kurayami Ryuu** – Hehe, it's surprising how often I think of taking a scene out and it turns out to be the best scene in the chapter! I was _that_ close to deleting the theatre scene, but then I just decided what the heck. Oh, I'm glad I helped with your writer's block. ^_^ Don't worry, I didn't think you'd steal. Thanks for the couple suggestions! Hehe, being hyper is always good. Don't stifle it! ^_^ **Tofu** – Glad you liked it. ^_^ Yami no Malik is an enigma…at least until next chapter. ^_~ *Blink* Death threats? Hey, now, be nice to me. ^_^ **elipse **– Nice to hear you liked the chapter. I'll try to update faster, now that school's almost over. **Evaru** – Yeah, the trailer was slightly sneaky…. ^_~ But it kept your interest, ne? *Pout* You reviewers are getting mean. ^_~ Calling me lazy, giving me death threats…. Next you'll be hunting me down! …Er, not that that's a suggestion. *Gulp* **Daphne **– A recommendation on someone's profile? For me? Wow. O.O Do you know who it was? *Blush* Arigatou; I tried to keep them somewhat in character, hehe. Thank you for reviewing. ^_^ **chibi ai **– Hehe, yes, I already knew of Yami no Bakura's appearance in ancient Egyptian times, but I appreciate the information anyway. I'm also fond of puppyshipping, though I tend to lean more toward angst shipping. ^_~ **Aijin Moon **– ^_^ I have to say, I'm deeply touched by your review. Hehe! Arigatou, shoujo. ^_^ Hehe, perhaps I can enlighten you to the adorable and electric qualities of angstshipping yet, ne? Hai, that was the first lemon I've ever written. ^_^;; Hiding? Me? *Innocent smile* Now where would you get that idea? I myself have only recently gotten into liking Yami no Malik…though most of the time is spent glaring at the screen – I've yet to forgive him for his indiscretions…especially those committed against a certain white-haired bishounen. ^_^ Hehehe! Hai, the tomb robber is a fairly flagrant fruitcake, ne? Wow, another violent one! O_O A lot of you out there, hehe. Hehehe! Oh, no! Not the _Rod_! *Giggle* **Froz Flame **– Hehe, glad you liked it.

Next Chapter: The Pharaoh and his thieving lover make trouble in paradise for Ryou and Malik, cooking with the islanders and a birthday present to Ryou from Yami no Malik. Stay tuned! ^_~


	8. A Gift of Two

Naming the Flame

Trei

****

Note: ^_^;; I'm afraid I have to put myself at the mercy of my readers…. *Nervous cough* I'm so, _so_ sorry about the delay for this chapter. Summer activities got a hold of me and my laptop wasn't able to get internet access…it also doesn't have a floppy disk drive (too modern, I guess), so I couldn't put the chapter onto another computer. -_-;; I'll do something to make it up to you all (check the end of the chapter), but I'll leave it to you to decide what. ^_^

Chapter Eight

When the pharaoh worked out by his behavior that somehow Yami no Bakura was involved in the Rod spirit's inexplicable return, he asked Yugi to call Ryou Bakura to the Turtle Game Shop to "discuss" the incident. Having never spoken to the child directly, Yami no Yugi would leave messy explanations and such to Yugi before he made his appearance.

Unfortunately, he hadn't planned for the unscheduled arrivals of Anzu, Mai and Otogi and was additionally cheesed off when Bakura turned up with a cousin and a delinquent koibito in tow. Sensing his yami's irritation, Yugi enlightened Bakura without giving away the Ring spirit's screw up just yet and inwardly promised the pharaoh that as soon as his friends left, he would speak to Bakura privately.

To entertain himself through the ensuing "party game", Yami no Yugi gave several failed attempts to catching traces of his koi in Bakura's molten chocolate eyes. The pharaoh was then astonished at the other spirit's lack of defiance at being trapped in the body Malik Ishtar was presently snuggling. Then again, Yami no Bakura had acted fairly graciously as of late regarding his host's activities. After all, Bakura and Ishtar had lived the past two years in a harmonious relationship without sustaining any injury from the Ring spirit. Perhaps the thief was finally growing self-discipline of some kind.

Or maybe he was just biding his time for a shockingly horrendous ambush that would leave mental scars on all involved.

Yami no Yugi found he was only mildly dreading the day when such a thing took place. A Puzzle without electricity loses its mystery and awe after the first six million bricks counted on the western staircase.

Boredom crept through the pharaoh's carefully guarded blasé atmosphere and began prodding the former monarch with a rather sharp stick. After hearing Mai's explanation of the inane activity, Yami no Yugi had to force himself not to take control of Yugi's body and march his hosts legs back up to his room to redo his summer homework. There was no way - _none_ at all - that he was going to sit in his soul room quietly like a good spirit while _his_ host made a total slut of himself in the body _he _was sharing.

Unfortunately, Yugi seemed keen on the idea of kissing Anzu.

Ugh. Modern teenagers and their idiotic senses of "fun". Back in Egypt, there _was_ no "kissing". Not like the kind he saw _these_ kids using. Disgraceful, messy business, modern day courtship. Thank Re he had died without going through it.

So he hoped.

Being without the majority of his memories - especially those regarding a somewhat elusive thief - grated on his nerves to the point where he wondered if maybe he could use force to drag whatever secrets Yami no Bakura hid behind those taunting chocolate eyes. The Shadow Realm _really_ wasn't so horrible once one got used to it. And besides, the tomb robber hadn't been _that_ scared. All right, so maybe Yami no Yugi had never heard the other spirit scream _quite_ that high before, but as Yugi had once told him, there's a first time for everything. Even for an ancient Egyptian tomb robber robbed of his macho aura by screeching like a ten-year-old girl because of a silly reaper of death keen on obliterating his soul.

It was only when bizarre Fortune matched Ryou and Yugi for a kiss that the pharaoh perked up long enough to witness it. _How peculiar_, he thought, then frowned. _Isn't Malik courting Bakura? _One look at the furious Egyptian was enough to confirm that.

Yami no Yugi smirked. This ought to be interesting.

**

From the hallway separating the powerfully dissimilar soul rooms, Yami no Bakura watched as his host wandered to the center of the circle. He had only just awakened from a disturbing slumber when he became distinctly aware of the tsunamis of anxiety flowing from his young host. Standing witness to the scene, Yami no Bakura's face began to lose its bemused frown as what an outsider could assume was understanding took control of his expression.

The hikari of his koibito knelt surrounded by leering faces, one of which was the Ishtar boy's. Whose face, Yami no Bakura must have noticed by his a smug smirk, was glowing crimson with jealousy. His entire frame was shaking, tanned fists draining blood until his knuckles were bleached white.

Having apparently lost interest in his former ally, Yami no Bakura passively turned his attention to Yugi. Ryou had paused in front of him hesitantly before glimpsing over his shoulder. With a small grin at Malik's blatant irritation, he leaned in to the younger boy.

Slender black eyebrows lifted at this, Yami no Bakura's mouth set in a slightly curved line. From the dark atmosphere of the hallway, the tomb robber's cackle broke free. A spark of his trademark insanity caught in a beam of light as Yami no Bakura grabbed the back of Ryou's neck and yanked the boy's command from his body.

Several gasps filled the room as who they assumed was Ryou practically attacked Yugi with a kiss fiercer than was natural for his personality. Poor Malik choked on something rather putrid in his throat. From his soul room, Ryou gaped.

"I'm…beyond screwed."

**

Yami no Yugi felt the pattern of his hikari's emotions shift violently from vaguely nervous to full-on panicked and understood why with only a moment's surveillance. Instead of taking the noble road and seizing control of Yugi's body to put the demonic thief back in his place (he was already certain that Ryou was trapped in his soul room watching the same scene with a queasy grimace), the former pharaoh traveled down the road more often traveled. Pre-guilty fun.

At the first touch of lips to his, Yami no Yugi rewrote his plan of action. Ignoring the mortified yelps coming from a mortified Yugi, the former pharaoh instead fastened an arm around the tomb robber's neck and responded quite agreeably to the kiss most likely intended to shock his hikari into premature grey fern - er, hair.

Yami no Bakura smirked against his lips, obviously sensing the change between hikari and yami with ease. Nobody save Yami no Yugi would respond to his kiss. Well, nonviolently, anyway.

[What are you _doing_?] Yugi cried from the saner regions of his mind. [What are you _thinking_?!]

Yami no Yugi calmly indulged in selective hearing…selectively hearing his former self applauding his wickedness. Too much time spent with Yami no Bakura had begun to allow him to absorb and resurrect his old king-of-the-world-so-kiss-my-sarcophagus ways.

Not that the former pharaoh saw any dilemma with this….

[Mou hitori no boku, stop!] begged Yugi. [Please!]

Wincing, Yami no Yugi cursed and drew away from the tomb robber's arms. Cursed pleading. Why could he never resist pleas from Yugi? Damnable midget…. The pharaoh's eyebrows arched in surprise.

Far too many hours spent around dark influences….

On the other arm of the scales, said influence didn't seem to be having any trouble whatsoever with his host-personified conscience. Yami no Bakura was most likely drowning out what Yami no Yugi could assume was a flustered, beseeching monologue…as was usual for him. Yami no Yugi snickered inwardly as he restored control of Yugi's body back to his host.

A native to fine breeding Athari is not….

…Though how amusing would that be?

**

Yami no Bakura departed from his host's body in a flurry of less-than-sane cackles, retreating to the darkened hallway to oversee the aftermath of his game. In the same matter of moments, Malik dove into the circle and wrenched Ryou from Yugi, successfully snapping both hikaris into dumb shock. The Egyptian wrapped his arms around Ryou's chest from behind, scowling poisonously enough to put the fear of Re into everyone in the room. Every person whose gaze was unfortunate enough to meet Malik's decided wordlessly that the kissing game was categorically concluded.

Once he'd reclaimed rightful control over his body, Ryou felt the smothering embrace and winced. _Malik's going to _kill _me_…. From mere feet away, Yugi began to back away from him, frightened by either seemingly rape-happy Ryou or his possessive, composure-shot-to-Hell koi. Or maybe he'll go for Yugi-kun. Hopefully Yugi-kun. …! Nani?! Where did that thought come from?

Dubious, Egyptian-accented cackling filled his mind.

Ryou glared upward at his forehead. "Oh, shut up, you cradle robber," he snapped irritably.

Mai's expression was brighter than her grin. "Well, _that_ was educational," she praised. "Was everyone paying attention?"

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Substitute teacher from hell," he said to himself, shaking his head.

Malik was on his feet in a heartbeat, fists white at his sides. The moment Ryou turned to gaze up at him questioningly, he lost whatever remained of his control.

"_What_," he cried, "_was_ that?!"

"That," Ryuuji said matter-of-factly, "was your boyfriend's tongue down Yugi's throat."

"And vice versa," Jounouchi added.

Malik's eyes narrowed lethally at the pair, who quickly decided that staying on Malik's bored side might increase their chances of pain free lives and shut up.

"Kichou," Ryou tried, "it wasn't me - "

Malik stared at him in disbelief, the mere look in his eyes enough to halt Ryou mid-sentence. "Don't even," he said quietly, rage trembling his fists.

Then, before anyone could tell him to do otherwise, Malik stormed out of the Game Shop with a loud _CRASH_ of the door slamming to punctuate his mood.

With a glance around the circle, Riku asked, "So, is it Yugi's turn now?"

**

For a few moments Ryou was content to stand on the doorstep, his premeditated plan of action seeming less and less feasible by the second. The youth winced as his traitorous mind began exhibiting possible scenarios for him - most of which ended with a rather grisly death at the bulky end of some household object - and grimaced.

Just as a mental image of his koi appearing in the doorway with an ancient Egyptian blender flitted through his mind, the door opened. Ryou recoiled instinctively, one arm rising to ward off any incoming artillery. When none came, he sheepishly lowered the limb. Malik's eyes widened marginally before his default mask of disdain took control.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

Ryou tilted his head curiously, otherwise completely nonchalant about the pretense. "How did you know I was out here?" he asked.

Malik glared coldly at him. "After two years, there's not much you can do that surprises me," he said flatly.

Silently, Ryou marked that as a truth he would have to disprove later. Though for now, he merely arched his eyebrows and said evenly, "I don't want to fight with you over something this stupid."

The Egyptian sneered, his hand twitching on the door's edge as though he were sorely tempted to fling it closed in Ryou's face. Evidently the issue didn't sound so stupid to him.

"What? _You _do?" Ryou snorted.

Malik folded his arms with deliberate obstinacy, his eyes sharp as broken diamonds.

Ryou flung up his arms in frustration and snapped, "All right, I'm sick of this." Closing the space between them he scowled up at his grudge-bearing blond venomously.

Malik's eyes narrowed promptly at the challenge.

"I don't know what happened or why," Ryou ground out slowly, "but it did and it's not fair to blame _me _and you know it. If you can hold me responsible for what happened then I can blame you for everything _you _did under your darker half's influence at Battle City."

It was a low hit and Malik jerked his chin up in shock that he had used it. A flicker of infuriation sparked through his eyes just before he moved to slam the door.

"_No_!" Ryou stepped in the path of the door and its frame boldly, daring Malik to stir in continuing his intent. When the Egyptian merely gripped the door's edge and fumed, Ryou said slowly, "You know me, Malik. You know I'd never do that to you."

Malik abandoned the doorframe and retreated into the shadowed hallway, keeping his eyes trained stoically on the floor. "What do you care if I walk away?" he snapped, sneaking a glance at his koi. "Even if tonight was a fluke, there are countless others out there that could more than care for you."

Ryou blinked, taken aback by the clipped retort. _Koibito no baka_, he groaned mentally. "How could I not care?" he asked, shaking his head in fond frustration. "_You_, you arrogant twerp, are the one I love. You've ruined me for anyone else." He smiled reflexively and teased, "So, deal with it. I have."

Even half concealed in shadow, Ryou saw the fleeting look of surprise that crossed the older boy's face. It vanished quickly, however, and was replaced by an expression Ryou couldn't decipher.

"You know I'll find out if you're lying to me," said Malik slowly.

Ryou nodded, masking a grin with practiced solemnity. Malik had finally realized he had been caught in the midst of his own game and was now left to back out gracefully to avoid owning up to it. _Baby_, thought Ryou, inwardly rolling his eyes.

Almost cautiously the corner of Malik's mouth twitched into a small smile of affection that he must have been stifling for the past five minutes. Lifting a bronzed hand to Ryou's face, he gently brushed his fingers across his temple and through the ivory locks strewn over the boy's shoulder. A white flag of sorts.

"You do realize that I'm going to hold this over your head for the rest of our lives, don't you?" Ryou asked impishly.

Malik groaned and looked away while Ryou giggled at his expense. "I guess I deserve that," he said with a guilty smile.

"How long were you going to keep up the 'poor mistreated victim' charade?"

"Until you figured it out or surrendered."

A exultant smile began weaving its way across Ryou's lips. "So, I won?"

Malik crossed his arms indignantly. "Don't get used to it," he warned.

Ryou rolled his eyes theatrically. "Why do I put up with you?"

"Because I'm the best looking villain out there?"

"Not quite."

"I'm the only natural blond you know?"

"Yeah, kichou, that's it," said Ryou wryly.

"…Did you call me a 'twerp'?"

"Um…I love you?"

Malik rolled his eyes and idly took hold of the rope around the younger boy's neck, jangling the Sennen Ring with a devilish smirk.

"By the way, can I melt this piece of shit?"

Ryou scowled and pried his Ring from Malik's grasp. "You're not funny," he informed his koi flatly.

"Yeah, I know, but I amuse myself well enough."

"You're also out of your mind."

Malik grinned and ruffled Ryou's hair. "All part of the charm, beautiful."

"Some charm," Ryou snorted, winking teasingly to soften the bite in the retort.

"It always works on you," Malik said sweetly.

"Oh, sure. The twelve-year drop in age was adorable," Ryou deadpanned.

Malik chuckled, tilting his head to scan his koibito's face and potential smile appraisingly. "You can't actually blame me for being jealous, you know," he said. "You really are beautiful."

Ryou rolled his eyes and reflexively bowed his head to shadow the blush tinting his face. "I'm already dating you, baka; you don't have to flirt with me."

Malik propped his shoulder up against the doorjamb, his gaze sweeping lavishly from Ryou's slightly embarrassed expression over the rest of his body. With a decided nod and audacious grin, he said, "To keep you, I do."

Ryou smiled playfully. "So, that's how you plan on keeping me interested? Jealousy and flirting?"

"Foolproof, ne?"

The younger boy shrugged. "Maybe when we'd first dated, sure." He lifted his hand and examined the short-cut ivory fingernails with exaggerated apathy. "But you can't expect it to work for another two years."

Reacting to the transparent challenge, Malik smirked and rested his forehead against Ryou's, one hand clutching the doorjamb as he leaned out precariously. Immediately Ryou locked the Egyptian's gaze in his and grinned.

Malik studied the wicked shimmer in Ryou's eyes proudly. "You realize you're my handiwork, don't you?" he asked.

Ryou blinked, thrown off course by the bizarre question.

"Two years ago you could barely keep up with me," Malik explained matter-of-factly. "Now you're pretty _and_ witty."

Ryou narrowed his eyes in mock scorn. "So, you told me you loved me because you thought I was cute?"

Malik grinned shamelessly. "Pretty much. But hey, you developed a personality as time went on."

"Bold words for someone supporting most of his balance on my forehead," Ryou said, crossing his arms over his chest smugly.

"…I should have moved first, shouldn't I?"

Ryou smiled, "Yes, kichou, you should have," and took a step back.

**

Almost lazily a shadow sidestepped the burst of noxious fumes that hissed up from the brick floor. The trigger he had intentionally trod on slowly raised until it had leveled out evenly with the other stones. The figure ensnared in darkness glided fluidly into a sharp beacon of light, partly revealing a spirit examining his meticulously-buffed fingernails with careless scrutiny. Yami no Bakura, known in his mortal Egyptian days as Athari, King of Thieves, was paying a visit to his once royal lover.

He waited in the slim thread of light, one exotically-contoured eye the only part of him visible through the shadows. The thick ebony lashes fluttered slightly as the nearly unheard sound of footfalls approached him. Yami no Bakura lifted his gaze from his obscured hand and folded his arms casually before his chest. A glittering eye fixed on the other end of the room steadily.

"Your defenses get weaker every time I evade them," he taunted.

An irritated sigh. "Will you never outgrow your flair for the dramatic?"

A dark chuckle filled the room. "Think of it as a perk," the thief suggested.

Yami no Yugi snorted, stepping into the light from the opposite side of the room. His arms were crossed in a fashion similar to his koibito's, something Yami no Bakura grinned at.

"Was there any reason in particular for the attempted sabotage of your host's romantic life?"

"Reason?" The thief sounded genuinely confused.

Yami no Yugi rolled his eyes fondly. "Never mind."

Then, tilting his head to one side with a sly grin he asked, "Where exactly did you learn to kiss like that, anyway? Picking up techniques from your host and his koibito?"

The other spirit snorted indignantly. "My host won't kiss like that for another two years at least."

"Or months, depending on Ishtar's involvement," Yami no Yugi smirked.

Neatly evading that particular detail, Yami no Bakura inquired smoothly, "Why do you ask, Khetire?"

"Have you always been able to do that?" Yami no Yugi asked, now suspicious. "You've never kissed me that way before."

"Didn't feel like it," the thief said with a vocal shrug. "Takes too much effort."

Yami no Yugi scowled and dropped the subject like hot sand, instead snapping, "So, are you simply here to test my soul room's safety measures or was there another reason for your impromptu visit?"

The thief answered the question with one of his own. "Do you love me?"

Yami no Yugi's composed smugness faltered for a moment, though he quickly recovered. "_What_?"

"Answer me, Khetire."

Yami no Yugi, caught at a loss for words and stunned by the warmth in the other's voice as he spoke his given name, said warily, "Why?"

Silence replied in turn, cold and secretive. Yami no Yugi narrowed his eyes and began to cross the room, determined to pull an answer from his atypically reticent koi.

"Don't."

The former Pharaoh paused at the warning in Yami no Bakura's voice and smirked slightly. That sounded more like his thief.

"Khetire…." Yami no Bakura hesitated. "You remember nothing of our previous life." It wasn't a question.

Yami no Yugi answered it anyway, "No."

"Then you have more reason to hate me than love me."

Yami no Yugi frowned, finally at his patience's end. "Athari, start making sense or leave," he said shortly. "I'm in no mood to have my choice in love questioned."

"Then you _do _love me, Myoujou?" (1)

Yami no Yugi sighed loudly in frustration. "What's the point of this?"

"What's the harm in saying it?"

"With you, it could be anything," deadpanned Yami no Yugi.

The thief grinned, a beam of dim light catching off of the tip of one fanglike tooth.

Yami no Yugi sighed in mounting frustration. "Damn it, Athari! What in the name of Anubis is this about!?"

A moment of consideration stretched on for a short eternity before Yami no Bakura finally strode into the light, his arms still tied over his chest somewhat defensively. His eyes rested evenly on his koi's, darkly waiting for judgment.

Yami no Yugi recoiled in shock at the image before him. "Y-you…." The words half-formed in his throat crumbled to powder.

Before him stood not his modern-day lover, a spirit with his host's alabaster skin, silken white hair and eyes like molten chocolate…but a lean, tanned youth with shoulder-length raven locks and eyes that burned darker than obsidian fire. Instinctively Yami no Yugi's gaze was pulled to the youth's cheek, where a scar resembling a double slatted cross marred the entire side of his otherwise flawless face. The true Athari…Yami no Bakura's Egyptian form. (2)

Yami no Yugi felt his jaw dislocate and drop without his sanction. Not only did this development provide a rather sharp blow to his somewhat distorted view of "normal", but also to his image of the thief. Yami no Bakura's past form was even more gorgeous than his present-day form.

Damn it.

With a slight grin at his reaction, the stranger spoke with Yami no Bakura's voice, "Do you have me, Pharaoh?"

Yami no Yugi struggled to pull out a weak, "What do you mean?"

"Do you have me?"

In a second's time Yami no Yugi understood the question._ Do I have him._ _Would it be a loss to me if he wasn't here. _In the time of their peculiar relationship, the tomb robber had said "aishiteru" a grand total of twice, once when he'd thought the former monarch sleeping and the second only recently, though he'd feigned obliviousness afterward. Though, if the former monarch were to be completely honest with himself, he had never spoken his love for the thief. "Do you have me?" might as well have been a plea for said declaration.

Yami no Yugi glanced up with a faint though warm smile. "Yes," he answered quietly.

Yami…no, Athari smiled, the first truly sane smile Yami no Yugi had ever seen the other spirit wear on his lips.

His attire had also changed, from the contemporary fashion Ryou was so keen on to a wine red cloak that lay flatteringly over his slender body. Athari's pure smile only increased his beauty in the golden torchlight of Yami no Yugi's soul room. The former monarch was forced into composing a short list of reasons why he couldn't simply ravish the other spirit at once…. Neither reason was very convincing.

Until gracefully the thief pulled his left sleeve to his shoulder and revealed compelling reason number three. The skin of his arm was pale and fair as porcelain - Ryou's skin, not Athari's.

"H-how?" Yami no Yugi managed. "What…what does it mean?"

Athari shrugged, dropping the sleeve back into place and smoothing out the wrinkles with a nimble hand. "Most likely a spirit's death," he said offhandedly.

"_NANI_!?" cried Yami no Yugi.

"Mm. My spirit is vanishing bit by bit," explained Athari, trailing his eyes up to meet the other spirit's with surprising coherency. "The effect is removing my likeness to Ryou - reverting me back to my mortal form. It's been happening for the past few weeks. I think my arm is the last likeness to Ryou that I have left."

"Hai, that I noticed." The pharaoh grimaced slightly. Another thing to fix; but this time the loss would steal from _his _heart, not Yugi's. "Perfect," he sighed in annoyance.

"I think so," agreed Athari glibly, tilting his head to toy with a silken thread of ebony. "I never liked my host's hair to begin with. Too long, too feminine…."

Yami no Yugi stared. "Why I put up with you…" he said wonderingly, shaking his head.

" - Would take too long to list," the tomb robber finished with a salacious wink.

The former monarch rolled his eyes and deemed not to answer.

"I believe I know what the darkness has-been wants this time 'round," grinned Athari.

"Malik's yami?" the pharaoh frowned.

Athari made a dismissive gesture, a plain sign that he considered the third spirit to be below the title of "yami".

The pharaoh, whose only plan of action to this point was calling Ryou to the Game Shop under the guise of knowing said spirit's intentions, asked, "What makes you think you've decoded his plans?" He was sorely tempted to put an emphasis on "you" just for his pride's sake.

Athari's eyes slowly dragged up to lock with the former pharaoh's. There was no amusement, no annoyance or even a flicker of emotion to speak of in those depthless eyes. His lack of expression shouted two words: "Don't ask."

So the older Egyptian wisely kept his mouth shut.

"It pertains to my host in a large way," said Athari warily, his gaze on his fingernails growing intense. "He is in danger."

Yami no Yugi remained mute, allowing the tomb robber to go on uninterrupted. However, after enduring several moments filled with his koi's silence, Yami no Yugi asked, "What does he want from Bakura?"

The tomb robber glanced up and Yami no Yugi drew back sharply at the flash of emotion in the other's eyes.

"Athari?"

"Protect him," the thief said sharply and turned on his heel to leave.

Yami no Yugi started forward quickly. "Wait!"

But Athari had already gone, a darkness melded into the shadows from where it had come.

**

Soft-painted dawn was starting to slip beneath Domino's waterline when Malik discovered a note in the kitchen stained with Sora's chaotic scrawl. It read, "_Had to leave, really important, be back later_" and was signed feverishly by Sora. If this was mildly peculiar, than the nearly empty guest room was the real jolt. All that had been stranded in the islanders' dust were two drawers of clothing and a broken vanilla candle welded together with duct tape.

Malik left the candle on Ryou's windowsill with a wary once-over, half expecting the relentless thing to shape shift into another inanimate object. When the only suspicious movements it made were caused by the flicking of the Egyptian's hand, Malik gave up for the time being and left the candle to its own evil flame-wielding devices.

Ryou was curled into his pillow felinely, his cherubic face curtained by soft, windswept locks. Asleep Ryou looked as he did in what he and Malik had nicknamed the Before Time (3), the days before Malik had sweetly shoved his way into the ex-introvert's heart and future. Malik was always content to watch over his sleeping tenshi with a fierce sense of protectiveness. Though he disagreed with Ryou's continued involvement with the Sennen Items, he knew as long as he was near, the younger boy would be safe.

Finally reacting to the vivid locks of sunlight coursing through the window, Ryou's long black lashes began to flutter, the boy fighting stubbornly to stay asleep. Malik rolled his eyes affectionately. Even at sixteen, Ryou refused to give away most of his childlike features - getting his way by pouting among them.

"Unh…Malik?"

The drowsy, fragmented sentence tumbled from Ryou's sleep-numbed lips as the boy lifted his head sluggishly. _Sunrise, 1, anti-morning person, 0_, Malik chuckled inwardly.

As if sensing Malik's amusement at his issues with waking, Ryou grumbled, "S'not funny," in a tone that only prodded the older boy's grin wider. Groaning in annoyance, Ryou turned his face into the pillow and half sobbed his hatred of mornings into the fabric.

Shaking his head pityingly, Malik decided to take matters into his own hands. Ryou would never move out of bed unless forced. Which meant early morning fun for Malik.

With casualty obtained by months of practice, the Egyptian hooked an arm around his koi's bedspread-wrapped waist…and nonchalantly dumped the lithe body on the floor before teeth or claws could surface. With a dull thud and a yowl of protest, Ryou crashed to the hard wooden floorboards. Soon after the recovery silence settled, the white sheets began mutating into bizarre shapes and forms while Ryou thrashed around his blanket prison for an exit.

Wisely Malik darted across the room to stand behind his koi's desk, ready for war with a rock Ryou's father had brought back from a ruin in Thebes.

"_When I get out of here, Ishtar, I'm shaving your hair and making it into a coat for Tabibito_!"

Malik dropped the rock and searched for a calligraphy pen.

However, by the time he was properly armed, Ryou had stuffed his disheveled head out of a loose flap between sheets and was leveling a toxic scowl at his evil-minded koibito. Malik hid the pen behind his back at the sight of his Disembodied Creampuff of Doom and inclined his head guilelessly, smiling.

"G'morning, tenshi," he chirped pleasantly.

Ryou's glower began to smoke.

Malik grinned slightly and teased, "Sleep well?"

Ryou grimaced and squinted against the rising sun, twisting his face into a mask of infantile grumpiness. "No." He sulked accusingly. "I couldn't get to sleep for hours last night."

"Why?"

The glare returned. "You wouldn't be asking if you had been here," he griped.

Malik frowned slightly in confusion before realization brightened across his face. "You couldn't sleep without me, could you?" he ribbed fondly.

Ryou's pitiful brown eyes screamed the obvious positive.

"Aw." Malik smiled and crossed the room to kneel in front of the younger boy. "C'mere," he said, holding his arms out for his tousle-haired koi.

Still half-wrapped in blankets Ryou dove into the open embrace, reaching up to loosely hug Malik's neck while nuzzling his head underneath his koi's chin. From this position, though the pair knelt directly in the four-square blueprint of sunbeams, Ryou could hide his face in the mist of golden hair and be safe from the unwelcome light.

"You weren't home when I called you last night," he murmured into his niche of bronzed Egyptian skin. "Was worried."

Smiling, Malik discreetly tossed the pen away and combed his fingers through Ryou's hair, driving out the aggravated snarls with deft strokes. "Sorry," he said and nestled his chin into the feathery tumble of white. "Isis needed help with something at the museum."

Leaning into the caresses, Ryou yawned, "S'all right." Too tired to press the matter further, he snuck his wrist around Malik's neck and rubbed at his right eye lazily. "Missed you, though."

Malik grinned. "Of course you did; I'm hard to live without."

"And then there's that first part to go with it."

"Huh?"

Ryou pulled back and winked sleepily. "Can't live with, can't live without."

Malik frowned, yanking one of the ivory locks vengefully. "I have a mind to take that offensively, you know," he sniffed.

"Go ahead, just as long as you keep playing with my hair."

Malik rolled his eyes tolerantly. "You really like this, don't you?"

Ryou snuggled deeper into his koi's chest. "Mmm."

Smiling, Malik teased, "It's hard to believe you're going to be seventeen tomorrow."

"Mm hmm," was the drowsy reply.

"You're not going to fall asleep on me, you know."

Muffled against his skin, Malik felt more than heard the mumbled retort, "'M sho."

"Are not."

"L'me sleep."

Malik glanced heavenward for any sign of impending aid. When none came, he fell back on Plan B which consisted of lifting problematic koi from chest and dropping said boy onto bed where boy belonged.

Sadly, Ryou had developed his upper arm muscles since the last time Plan B's services had been called for.

After several failed attempts of koi-removal, Malik growled, "You'd better not be asleep or I'm not getting you anything for your birthday tomorrow."

Ryou jerked his head back, most evident traces of sleepiness extinguished by a tempest of disbelief and dangerous-looking vehemence. "_You haven't gotten me anything yet?_"

Malik blinked bewilderedly, then grinned. "'Kay, so _that _threat works."

Ryou cuffed his blond upside the head spitefully and stumbled to his feet while still tangled in his bedspread.

Leaning back on his hands idly, Malik nodded to the knotted sheets, "You'd walk better without those wrapped around your legs."

"I hate you."

"Good thing I love you or this would be one severely disturbed relationship."

"You'd better get me something spectacular to make up for the jerk you're being now," Ryou halfheartedly threatened while unraveling his legs from the sheets. His customary morning snappishness seemed to be ebbing much faster since Malik started staying the night. For some reason yet to be translated into logic, Malik was banishing his old drawbacks just as easily as Ryou was domesticating his psychotic blond puppy. Besides, he was eager to see what kind of present Malik would find for him.

"Oh, by the way, your cousin left."

"There!" Ryou stepped out of the mesh of blankets triumphantly just as the Egyptian's words sunk in. "Wait, what?"

Malik nodded, leaning his back against the leg of Ryou's desk. "Sora left a note that basically said, 'I don't know how to write notes coherently, so I'll just leave with your cousin and we might come back'."

Ryou rolled his eyes. "He didn't say that."

"No, but it'd be sad if he did, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, undoubtedly," Ryou agreed solemnly.

Malik tipped his head to one side, grinning. "You're getting good at that."

"What?"

"Lying."

Ryou groaned. "Oh, good, just the thing I want to be skilled at. Where's my brush?"

Malik tilted his shoulder out of his koi's way as he began rooting about for the missing object. "On your dresser," he said absently.

"Thanks."

"What's so bad about lying, anyway? I do it all the time."

Fighting the remaining knots in his cursedly long (though beautiful when tamed, Malik often argued) hair, Ryou retorted, "Yes, and you're just the role model parents want their children to follow."

"You followed me," Malik pointed out, smiling undauntedly.

"And my father was _enormously_ thrilled by that." Ryou stifled a smile of his own and added, "Besides, I didn't follow you. I was dragged kicking and howling into your thieving arms and I plan to escape this horrible relationship in the dead of night when you're off polishing your motorcycle."

"Who does that at night?" Malik snorted. "I do it during the day."

Ryou adapted a look of stern disapproval. "In broad daylight?" he admonished in mock incredulity.

"Yeah, why - _Ryou_!"

Ryou winked and smiled innocently. "So, what're you going to get me?" he asked, laying the brush to rest on his desk behind Malik's head.

"You don't like surprises, do you?" The Egyptian seemed amused by the idea.

Ryou snorted cynically. "List the idiots I'm surrounded by and draw your own conclusions," he said wryly.

Sagely Malik nodded. "You're right," he agreed. "Especially the pharaoh. He's just _full_ of surprises." Said with a sarcastic twist of his nose, it was obvious Malik was still in the "resentful" phase of the Villain Reform Process.

"I don't see why you mind him," Ryou said, dropping to kneel before his koi. "He never makes appearances to do anything but play Duel Monsters."

Malik smirked. "Hence the _flamboyant_ life of bombshells and astonishments."

"Are you going to keep this up forever?"

Malik looked alarmed. "Well, _yeah_," he huffed, "otherwise I'm just like the rest of you saps without grudges to bear and I'll end up turning into another one of his mindless cheerleaders. You've seen what that monster's done to Otogi!" He shuddered violently at the mere image the words brought up for him.

"Oh, come on, he hasn't - "

"Don't you go back to school today?" Malik interrupted suddenly.

Ryou's eyes widened in slow comprehension. "Oh, _no_," he moaned.

"Skip it," Malik advised with a shrug. Grinning, he added, "You can stay home with me for the day…."

Ryou nibbled absently on his lip, thinking the thought and the possibilities that followed over in his mind. "That I'm even considering this is disconcerting."

Malik smirked.

"Oh, no," said Ryou warningly, stepping back from his koi. "I know that look. I don't like that look."

"Really?" asked Malik innocently. "You usually love it…."

Ryou gave a valiant attempt at a glare. "You're not using anything between your nose and your neck to persuade me."

Malik's smirk dipped evilly.

"Or your hands, hentai."

"What about - "

"Don't even think about it."

The Egyptian's delight crumbled, a sulk forming on his slender lips. "And you call yourself my koi," he grumbled.

Ryou shook his head patiently. "No, _you_ call me your koi. I call myself law-abiding," he retaliated tartly.

Malik grinned slowly. "You're not going, are you?"

Ryou sighed. "Never had a chance, did I?"

"Don't give yourself too much grief. You tried."

"Yeah. So, want to give me my birthday present early?"

"Absolutely. You get half now, half later. Deal?"

Ryou sealed the agreement with a kiss.

**

Yami no Malik watched the front of the Bakura household from a clever vantage point. From his tree, he could see everything that went on from the living room to Ryou's room, where the subjects of his spying were currently dozing.

A few of his Heartless lay sprawled in the bushes, trying to "shut up and keep silent" as their master had told them to do. Some smart enough to enjoy boredom began staring contests with each other, then when they realized that their yellow orb eyes never had to blink, they began braiding grass. But when the top began to unravel as they reached the bottom, they decided mournfully that that didn't work either.

Up in the tree, Yami no Malik clutched a suspicious tool to his chest. His former host's koibito would turn seventeen the following day, and Yami no Malik had the perfect celebratory gift. Of course, it would need to be delivered in the right _way_….

Chuckling off-key to himself, Yami no Malik swung from the branches to the lawn, stalking then toward the unsuspecting house.

**

Ryou had hoped Sora and Riku would return in time for his birthday the following day, but as his fortune usually guaranteed, he was disappointed. However, the silver lining, ever present, arrived at school with a gleaming motorcycle to drive him home. Malik seemed unusually cheerful from the moment they traded greetings on and though Ryou knew to be suspicious, he found the older boy's brightness infectious.

While Ryou finished his homework, he related to Malik how he had neatly avoided the sensei's wrath by some nimble lying and charm. To say Malik was proud would be a shameful understatement.

"So, what did you do?" the Egyptian asked with glowing eyes.

Ryou blushed under the beaming praise and ducked his head under the guise of reading his textbook. "I, em, told her my father came home early with a foreign disease and I couldn't leave the house because I was afraid of contaminating the class," he said, sneaking a mischievous glance at his open-mouthed koi.

Malik shook his head in amazement, then threw back his head and cackled. "You're unbelievable!" he crowed.

Ryou grinned. "I like to think so," he said with a small degree of pride. "She's not even going to count my homework as late."

"Speaking of which, you almost done?"

"Just about."

"Good, 'cause I want to give you your present."

Ryou arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Why are you so…bubbly?"

Whatever power had been driving Malik's bright mood promptly keeled over at the deadly word. "I'm acting _what_?!"

Ryou grinned slightly. "Well, you are. You've been bubbly the whole way home."

"Stop saying that - that _word_!" Malik moaned, pressing his hands to his ears in theatric pain.

Ryou smiled, "Ahh, peace," and leaned over his homework undisturbed.

When he finished, he glanced up and caught Malik glowering darkly at him, hunched over on the edge of his bed like a handsome, blond vulture. "I'm not fucking bubbly," he growled.

Ryou winked. "Sure you're not."

Scowling now, Malik snapped, "I could always return your gift."

" - And endure eternal celibacy," Ryou finished sweetly.

Malik returned to his former strategy of glaring.

"All right, all right," Ryou conceded, rolling his eyes, "you're not bubbly."

Malik nodded resentfully.

"…Just bouncy."

"_RYOU_!"

"Effervescent?"

"I'm warning you, kid - "

"Merry?"

"_Ryou_…."

Ryou's eyes sparkled. "Gay?"

Malik considered, sizing up his pretty koi thoughtfully. "Well, Ry…."

Ryou scowled indignantly. "All right, enough of that."

"Want your gift yet?" Malik asked sweetly.

"If it's a tack hammer, yes."

Malik smiled. "You're cute when you're homicidal, kojika."

"Funny, I hear that a lot," Ryou deadpanned.

"Anyone I know?" Malik's eyes narrowed slightly.

Ryou grinned and stood from his desk stiffly. "You're paranoid," he chuckled, stretching his arms over his head languidly. In mid-stretch, he yawned, "Stop staring at my midriff, Ishtar."

"You should wear tighter clothes."

Ryou let his arms fall before trudging over to his bed and burrowing into Malik's waiting embrace. "No," he said definitively. "There's no way I'm dressing like a slut to mollify your fashion issues."

Malik frowned. "I'm not a slut," he grumbled, sick to death of the recurring labeling.

Ryou leaned his forehead on Malik's, teasing softly, "Yes, you are. You're _my_ slut." He grinned and arched an eyebrow complacently.

"How did I know that was going to come back and bite me in the - "

" - Present, Ishtar," Ryou said with half-stifled giggles.

Malik flashed a grin insolently and concealed one arm carefully behind his back, curling the other around Ryou's neck and pulling him closer. The younger boy settled his arms around his koi's shoulders and snuggling his cheek against Malik's contentedly.

Sighing, he said, "This is all I want. Just you."

Malik risked a laugh. "Liar. Quit looking behind my back, you sneak."

Ryou drew back just enough to smile shamelessly and stick his tongue out without actually touching the other boy's mouth.

Malik smirked. "You're playing with fire, tenshi," he warned. "Don't think I won't take you up on that just because I haven't given you anything yet."

Ryou obediently kept his mouth closed, wide brown eyes poring over lilac pleadingly.

After a moment or two of this, Malik grinned and with the arm draped around Ryou's neck, grabbed a small box from the corner of the bedside table.

Ryou blinked. "Why did you have the other arm behind your back?" he asked bewilderedly.

"To distract you," Malik grinned. "You'd never know your other half was a thief, itoshi." (4)

As he began to open the box, Malik caught the surprised smile on Ryou's lips. "What?"

Ryou blushed vaguely. "You've, heh…you've never called me that before," he said softly.

"Really?"

Ryou's smile grew soft as he nodded.

Pausing with the box in one hand, Malik returned the smile and laid his cheek against Ryou's temple. "Adorable," he mused, eyes closed contentedly.

"Aishiteru, Malik," Ryou whispered, lightly kissing his koi's jaw.

Reluctantly Malik let the wash of cool vanilla and warm honey ebb away as he pulled back. Seeing only love and trust in Ryou's fawn eyes, he repaid the younger boy's kiss with one of his own, nuzzling his mouth softly over his koi's. "Love you, too," he murmured. "And better yet, I can prove it."

Ryou practically bounced back into gift-starved mode, reeling backwards with an eager grin spread wide across his face. "What'd you get me?" he asked animatedly. "Show me!"

Resisting the urge to comment on Ryou's single-track mind when it came to attention, Malik leaned back against the headboard and handed the indigo box to his vivacious koi. Before Ryou could yank it from his grasp, however, he darted in quickly and kissed his tenshi. "Happy birthday, beautiful," he said warmly.

Ryou spared a millisecond to counter with a smile whiter than the ivory of his hair and lifted the lid of the box. A drifting sunbeam snuck a glimpse inside as he opened the small container, recoiling off of the shiny surface inside and retreating to a nearby wall. At the sight of his gift, Ryou's eyes grew large and slowly coasted up to meet Malik's.

The older boy beamed at the look of awe on Ryou's face, reaching out almost involuntarily to brush a stray lock of snowy silk from his forehead. "Like it?" he asked, his hand lingering almost tentatively a breath from Ryou's cheek.

Abruptly breaking into a brilliant smile, Ryou lunged forward and seized Malik in a bone-fracturing hug. His voice took up temporary residence in his throat, sending up merely strangled laughter when requested for coherent words.

Malik squeezed his arms tight around the younger boy's waist possessively. "I'll take that as a wholehearted yes, then, shall I?" he grinned.

Ryou's laughter dispelled the ensuing silence. "Where did you find it?" he asked, his face comfortably buried in a sinewy shoulder.

"It's from Egypt, obviously. Isis got in a shipment full of recovered jewelry and this was one of them."

Ryou drew back, blinking in shock. "She let you have this?" he asked, brandishing the box skeptically.

Malik grimaced. "Nothing's free, itoshi." Ryou smiled at the newfound pet name. "She's making me Tabibito's slave for the next week."

Ryou laughed, entertained by the misery on the Egyptian's face. "Well, you got what you wanted, why hold up your end?" he asked impishly.

"Because there's something else from that shipment that I want," said Malik furtively.

"What is it?"

Malik shook his head. "Tell you later. Hand me the thing, I'll put it on for you."

Ryou complied quickly, anxious to see how the beautiful trinket would look on him. As Malik took hold of the charm, Ryou could effortlessly make out the embossed hieroglyphics in the sunlight. Made from sterling silver or something richer, the armlet was shaped like the gold pair Malik had worn when they first met, but polished and bedecked with elegant lines of gold and turquoise, the beloved metals of the ancient Egyptians. Ryou found it difficult to believe the armlet's age. It looked as though no one had ever breathed on it, let alone worn it thousands of years ago.

Malik lifted his hand and slipped the armlet around his wrist, carefully and purposefully dragging it up his lean arm until it rested comfortably halfway between his shoulder and elbow. Raising the sleeve of his short tee shirt, Ryou admired the silver bracelet now snugly enclosing his arm.

"What does the inscription say?" asked Ryou, titling his head curiously as he tried to read it.

"'Property of Malik Ishtar, Future Pharaoh'," Malik said seriously.

Ryou's expression slipped from enthralled to exasperated in record time. "If it says that, I'm going to beat you over the head with it."

Malik winked, clearly unmoved by the fervently empty threat. "'Everyone finds himself in the world where he belongs. The essential thing is to have a fixed point from which to check its reality now and then'," he read.

Ryou ducked his head to shadow a faint blush while looking over the ancient Egyptian proverb appraisingly. "That's sweet," he said quietly, smiling.

Malik nudged his koi's downcast chin and locked gazes the moment his eyes drifted away from the bracelet. Without revealing his intentions, he swept a pensive glimpse over Ryou's face, his hand still covering the bracelet. Ryou met his appraisal evenly, even nonchalantly. Even so, Malik could read through the younger boy's actions as easily as the ancient proverb marked under his palm. After all, who taught Ryou never to shrink away from a challenge?

Well, the tomb robber had, but Malik was convinced that the message had gotten lost somewhere between steal-the-Puzzle schemes and ignore-the-host tendencies.

Ryou maintained his steady gaze unconsciously, content to sit still as long as Malik's scrutiny took. Besides, it gave _him _ample time to do likewise and approve Malik's beauty all over again.

"You know," Malik said finally, "people must wonder what you see in me."

Ryou grinned.

"On second thought, don't answer that."

Ryou laughed and kissed his dubious koi's forehead. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to say anything bad," he reassured.

"Suure you weren't," Malik said dryly.

Ryou smiled. "No, I wasn't. I was just going to say that whenever I look at you I don't want to remember exactly what it was like before you loved me," he said sincerely.

Malik's eyes sparkled at the honest words. "Sometimes I try to imagine life without you," he said thoughtfully.

"And?"

Malik winked. "I never said I thought about it long enough to get anywhere," he said.

Ryou giggled and glanced at his gift again, lifting his hand to ghost over Malik's. Raising his gaze to his koi's, he said, "So, what am I to you? Your world or your reality?"

Malik entwined their fingers deftly. "I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know in twenty years." He kissed the younger boy gently and squeezed his hand. "Happy birthday, tenshi."

**

1 - Myoujou (Morning Star)

2 - I know in the manga and in the anime, Yami no Bakura's hair was white in Egypt, but I prefer to take the historically correct route and make his hair black - plus, I think it would look better on him anyway. ^_~

3 - The Before Time: What the kids used for the days when they obeyed their parents on an episode of _South Park_. ^_~ Sorry, minna, I couldn't resist a _South Park_ cameo, heh.

4 - Itoshi (love, beloved)

****

Note on Egyptian Gods: Once you've been immersed in Egyptian mythology long enough, you'll notice that people spell the gods' names several different ways. Take, for example, the sun god Re. Since you pronounce it as "Ra", that's how most people choose to spell it. The same is true with Selqet, whose name has also been spelled Selket. People will automatically want to spell things phonetically. So, while Re doesn't look right, it is seen frequently on official documents and on Egyptologists' reports, so I'm led to believe it's the real way to spell it. ^_^

To be Continued…

Wow, twenty-seven reviews. O_O At least there's one pro to month-long vacations. ^_~ Ahem, not like…eh, I'd do it again. Or…anything…. *Cough* Em - onto the reviews!

****

Kiirar - Hehe, arigatou! And yes, I don't think Malik appreciated his koi's possessed other half's actions, ne? ^_~ *Pout* Now why would you try to hunt me down? That's just mean. *Nods* Sadly, no, the dice is not the candle…though I wouldn't doubt that they're connected in some way. *Whistles innocently* **maliksgurl **- I'm actually surprised chapter seven was as popular as it turned out to be. I think the end result was twenty-two reviews! O_O;; I thought I overdid the fluff, but I suppose not! ^_^ Feel free to yell at me if I'm lagging. Chances are, like this time, I'm busy, but I always appreciate the continued interest in the story. ^_^ Oh, and your being sweet is definitely a good thing. Hehehe! Toothache? Nah. Only Malik and Ryou are capable of that. ^_~ Not to mention Hiei and Kurama…but that's another genre altogether. ^_~ Hehehe. **Froz Flame** - *Giggle* I'm glad it made you feel good! I'm highly flattered! ^_^ **Aijin Moon** - I'm glad you took such an interest in my story! ^_^ Yami no Malik has always struck me as an unlikable figure, but I suppose all deserve second chances, ne? Hehe, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Hai, Sora and Riku are absolutely precious. O_O I didn't even notice that innuendo. I guess I'm still too naïve for my own good! **Kris** - Hehe, I updated. ^_~ Gomen for the cliffhanger…I've been out of practice of leaving them for so long…it's a terrible habit to have - even harder to break! **Jess** - O_O I can't even tell you how much I love you for that review! ^_^ *Glomp!* Ah, about Jou and Seto…this chapter was getting insanely long as it was (Malik just did _not_ want to forgive Ryou, damn it), so the details behind the CEO/puppy/dice freak will come next chapter. Promise. ^_~ Oh, Lordie, I saw pictures of Ryuuji and Honda…. Ugh. Not my favorite pairing. Er, at all. Personally, I love Mai. She's just got something about her that makes her undeniably cool - at least to me, hehe. Sora? Hetty, is he? *Grin* Well, we'll have to change that, now won't we? And that pairing you speak of isn't as bad as I thought at first. It's…er, unique, but I find I don't dislike (*coloatheugh*) him as much as I used to. He's all right, in a iffy kind of "I-borderline-hated-you-for-six-years" kind of way. ^_~ And your wild guess paid off, I see. Hehe. *Giggle* You're right! If Yami sends you to the Shadow Realm, he undoubtedly has a crush on you. *Grin* Sort of like yanking pigtails. Putting souls into eternal damnation is a sure fire sign of love. *Giggle* I know! I don't buy his story that he's "spying on the enemy". Please, tomb robber, don't insult the slashers' intelligence. We know you're spying on him while he's sleeping. *Giggle* That'd be a picture I'd love to save. Erp, Seto and Yami? Not my region of expertise, but indulge yourself, dear, I won't stop you. ^_~ You know, I'd _love_ to find a way to incorporate Yu Yu Hakusho into this…but so far I can't think of a thing without getting off track. Although…hm, I may have an idea. I'll keep you posted. ^_~ 470 words!? I think you're on the top ten list for longest reviews, hon! Wow. 470. That's definitely something to live up to! Think you can outdo it _this _time? ^_~ **chibi_ai** - Gomen ne, if you checked this every day this time. ^_^;; I didn't mean to take so long with this chapter, but summer is proving to be chaotic for me. Whoa, you read it _that _many times? Eep! That's impressive! Even _I _didn't read it that many times! That's quite embarrassing for me, hehehe. ^_~ Hope you were pleased with the chapter! **Tofu** - Hehe, you should never expect "innocent fun" from Yami no Yugi and Yami no Bakura. Especially when they're put together. ^_~ Aww, arigatou. I wasn't expecting as big a response as I got for last chapter at all. Must make a mental note that fluff is popular. ^_^ Oh, I agree totally. Ryou and Malik just have the sweetest relationship, ne? It's so much fun to exploit - er, write. ^_~ **Blondie the Black Sheep** - Thank you! _ Where did the Yami no Bakura/Yami no Yugi come from? Well, it's been hinted at throughout the story, but the actual shounen-ai starts in chapter six. *Tilts head* There was a whole portion about them toward the beginning. Hmm, a lemon between them? I don't think I'll get to it, but I had a lime planned anyway, so there you go. ^_^ Hmm…I'm not sure how long it'll be. Maybe about twenty chapters? I'm not all too sure myself, to be honest. I had an outline planned but had I followed it I would have been on chapter twenty by now. I'm adding chapters together to make them longer. Like this chapter was about six in one. ^_^ It's better to make them long, I think. **Kendra** - True, Ryuuji's not doing very well for himself, is he? Oh, well, he'll live. ^_~ **anime AndrAIa** - Monty Python is definitely a favorite of mine. And that scene has always had me in stitches! That and the rabbit scene at the end…and Tim! Hehe. Before I go off on a tangent…. See, Seto came back! I'm too fond of the reclusive brat myself to get rid of him. So I can't ignore his existence just yet. ^_~ I think there must be rehabilitation for this kind of devotion to characters. If so, I need the twenty-four step help guide to get rid of my love of Ryou. …Never mind, double that. But why would I want to? ^_^ Hmm…cat treats and Ryuuji…that's something I hadn't considered…. *Grin* Really?! Wow! You didn't love Malik before? I don't understand why not…he's just so adorable…! ^_^ Hehe, I'm flattered. I've never thought of Ryou as weak. It just makes more sense that he'd be strong-minded if he was destined to be the holder of the Ring. Otherwise he would have died by now, and he hasn't - not permanently in the canon world, anyway. ^_~ Hehe, arigatou, shoujo! ^_^ **Lupins-Dragon **- *Blush* Arigatou, hehe. I'll read your story when I get the chance. I have a lot to catch up on because I was gone for so long, but I promise I'll get to it. ^_^ Hehe, hey, if you want to give me an award, I wouldn't refuse it. ^_~ Arigatou, hehe. **Shadowy Fluffball - **Cute penname. ^_^ I don't know why, but I keep thinking of Hiei whenever I see it. Oh, really? Do tell me some of these "whacked out couples". **OxBeachFlirtxO1** - Aw, I'm flattered! ^_^ About five times over, in fact, hehe. True, Malik's unquestionably whipped, but Ryou's just as bad off in that area as his koi. ^_~ Kingdom Hearts _does_ end sad…but at least there's fan fiction, ne? Hopefully, the sequel to the game'll be happier. Kairi-less, maybe? ^_^ **Shadow-of-Death** - Oh, of course. ^_^ Yami no Bakura wouldn't go so far as to make Ryou's life _easy_, after all. ^_~ **Slytherinette** - Wow…that was enthusiastic! ^_^ Arigatou! I'm ecstatic you like it so much! ^_^ Believe me, compliments like that are definitely accepted. ^_~ **Sarith McGregor** - Hehehe, sorry about the cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist. ^_^ Aw, arigatou. ^_^ Actually, to be honest, at first I didn't think Jounouchi and Ryuuji would work out at all…I just wanted to do something not many have tried out (not sure if it's been done before, to be honest) and once I thought about it for a while, it actually made sense. Besides, they _can_ be sweet once they shove their egos down a few - dozen - notches. ^_~ Hot makeout scene? And in all caps, too. ^_^ I haven't deprived you readers _that_ much, have I? Hehe, just kidding. ^_^ Oh…just wondering, but your last name…. Real or adopted from some gorgeous Scottish actor? *Grin* **Duelist of the Bleak Winter** - I'm inclined to agree with you…Riku is definitely a sexy bishie. ^_^ He's part of why I even bought the game…that and one of my best friends told me it involved a great deal of shounen-ai hints. Hehe, arigatou. I'm a fan of crossovers, personally. Cameos are still stylish in my world. ^_^ **Blood Roses** - Wow, I'm triply flattered. ^_^ I think you're right, though. One of my favorites is definitely the soap scene. My sister and I used to watch _Days of Our Lives_, so I had to poke fun at it. She'd watch the show and I'd watch the carpet grow. -_- Anyway, I hope you keep reading. I love returning reviewers. ^_^ **Keaira** - Yay! Another addict! ^_^ Who can resist Sora and Riku, anyway? They're too sweet. And gorgeous. Not that anyone _cares _about looks. *Innocent whistling* **Little Lost Girl** - Well, arigatou, hehe! ^_^ I know! The intro to KH is undeniably slashy! It screams shounen-ai. And the clip for the sequel? Riku-with-blindfold. I don't think that's kinky, but if it is, I'm guilty. Hehe. Aw, thanks. Being cool just comes naturally, I guess. ^_~ Kidding. ^_^ Bishie Bliss…. Ooh, or a Yahoo! Group. Many shounen-ai pairings…many, many of them! *Cough* Right, I'm sane. Sure. *Cough* Ooh, so I have a stalker as well? Bring it on, hehe. Waldo, meet Trei. ^_~ **Sailor Comet** - You know, _everyone_ notices the shounen-ai in KH, but there are _so_ many het stories. Why? I don't see Sora/Kairi _at all_. She's not mature enough for a real relationship with anyone but herself. Notice how she completely blows Riku off even after he goes through all that to save her? I don't think she speaks to him aside from the sunset scene, and that's barely two sentences. *Rolls eyes* Silly Sora. Date your best friend, he's the one with the cool sword. And I'll end with that lovely double entendre. ^_~ **Elle-FaTe2x1** - Hehe, thank you. ^_^ Darkshipping is definitely one of the coolest pairings out there, ne? And Yami no Malik just made the first of his moves. ^_~ Kidnapping Ryou is only the beginning, my dear Watson. ^_^ **Wildcard** - Ooh…er, tell her sorry? Hehe. ^_~ Aww, I'm not evil. Not totally. Just a little. …Mostly…. A bit…. Yeah, I'm pretty much sadistic and wicked, but I mask it well, ne? ^_~ Aw, I'm so glad everyone liked the soap scene. ^_^ I almost took that out. I have to stop giving me advice on how my chapters should be worked out. Oi. **nakia **- Aww, thank you. I'm glad you like it. You just made me feel all fuzzy inside. ^_^ See? Reviews mean stuff to us authors, people! ^_~ **areka hakai** - Hehe, thank you. ^_^ Gotta love the fluff. **Topazia** - Really? You're putting _NtF_ on your favorites? ^_^ Aww! Arigatou! I love to hear that, hehe.

****

Author's Note: While I was on vacation (remind me the next time I stay in northern California that there are _no_ high-speed connections up there; though that's the tradeoff, I guess - beautiful land, hopeless technology) I wrote the first five chapters of a novella (shorter than this but longer than a short story). The story is basically this:

Title: Sailing on Glass

Summary: The ocean breaks under her hull, recognizing the liner as a utopia soaring full steam for the shores of North America. Though she will never arrive in port, whether or not her passengers do is in their hands now. Seto/Ryou

Now, about the story. 'Tis mostly shounen-ai (what of mine isn't? ^_~). And if you hadn't guessed, the doomed ship in question is the _Titanic_, but hear me out before you dismiss it (I noticed while I was gone a lot of people posted stories costarring the _Titanic_). I was actually interested in the ship before the movie (surprising, isn't it?), so the plotline _is_ different from what you may expect. Now for the fun part. ^_^

It centers around four characters: Seto, Ryou, Mokuba and Amene (Ryou's canon sister who was mentioned *couONCEugh* in the manga). More specifically, around the relationships developed between Seto and Ryou and their younger siblings. Told you it wasn't what you'd expect. ^_^ Here's a taste of the first chapter:

"A glimmer of familiar laughter reached across the deck and swatted Seto's ear, turning the clear gaze over his shoulder. Seto grinned slightly. _Found my brother at least_. Mokuba was standing at the rail with Amene, his back to his brother. It was only when Seto realized that if this friendship with the Bakuras' daughter continued, he would likely lose Mokuba's company on this voyage and a sharp stab of something foul blocked his common sense for a moment. When it cleared, Seto was horrified to admit, even to himself, that he was jealous. Amene couldn't have stolen Mokuba in a few days, when Seto would at least know the ship well enough not to run across them like this.

"Someone else seemed to share his viewpoint. Only a few feet away, positioned against one of the giant iron wedges the ship used to tie the ship to harbor knelt Amene's beautiful older brother, Ryou. His arms were braced atop the wedge and a slight frown stood etched across his features. His gaze was unwaveringly fixed on his sister and her new 'friend'

"When Mokuba and Amene seemed to tire of the view, they began walking from the forecastle deck leisurely. Ryou followed them with his eyes, vaguely clenching his jaw. Seto smirked and worked out a new way to distract the boredom for a few hours.

"'Spying on your sister?' he asked casually, back leaned against the fore railing.

"Ryou started in surprise but had composed himself quickly enough to toss an amused smile at Seto when he turned around. 'On your brother, actually,' he countered coolly.

"Seto raised a skeptical eyebrow. 'I doubt you need to,' he said. 'He's not experienced enough in women to see the blatant passes your sister's making.'

"Instead of flaring up in defensive anger, Ryou merely brightened his smile. 'Yes, well, your brother has obviously never courted a girl of Amene's caliber.'

"'Or any girl period,' added Seto offhandedly.

"'Ah,' said Ryou, 'so he's following your example, then?' His eyes sparkled playfully.

"Seto snorted. 'I hope not.'"

Anyway, that's just a tidbit. I feel terrible about leaving all of you hanging for so long without so much as a warning of my absence, so to make it up to you all, I'd like to post the story. ^_^ Or do you want to wait until _Naming the Flame_ is finished? (Keep in mind that's going to take a while as the plot will get thicker next chapter.) So, what's the verdict? Post or postpone? Leave your vote in a review. ^_^


	9. Dreaming a Sign

Naming the Flame

Trei

****

Note: *Shuffles feet* Ah heh…. Hi. *Extends hand* I'm Living Proof that Words Mean Approximately Shit. ^_^;; My schedule probably has never been more full than it is now - why don't we ever listen when people tell us junior year is busy?

Also, I received several votes on whether or not _Sailing on Glass _should be posted before or after _Naming the Flame_ is finished. I want to thank everyone, E-Mailers and FFN reviewers alike, for your input. ^_^ The general census was to hold off on posting until NtF is finished, since NtF is hard enough to keep going (weren't nervous before? Betcha are now. ^_~). So when this is finished, then I'll start. ^_~

Chapter Nine

It was to the dull growl of passing cars that Ryou watched the play of headlights slip through his curtained windowpanes and experimentally graze the wall. When the street below fell silent again, Ryou felt the blessed weight of his black lashes dipping low over his eyes once more. Without sight to hinder his other four senses, the white-haired teen could now focus on touch and deftly trace the hieroglyphics emblazed on his armband. When touch also began to fade, his ears thrummed with the breeze of blood coursing through his veins, hazy mind recalling Malik's words in a soft echo.

__

"Everyone finds himself in the world where he belongs. The essential thing is to have a fixed point from which to check its reality now and then."

Cuddling under the arm his Egyptian koibito had draped possessively over his hip, Ryou wondered which of the two his koibito was to _him_. His fantasy world or his reality? In moments like these, with the Egyptian so close and curled around him like a protective feline, Ryou didn't believe in reality. That Malik, so beautiful it was sometimes blinding, could truly be as in love with him as he continually insisted was almost beyond the realm of practicality. What did he see in Ryou so precious to him that he could so readily abandon the possibility of future loves? Yes, in moments like these, Malik was a dream to him, a dream made a reality - or maybe something in between.

Sensing the unspoken praise (or the jab at his honesty), Malik drank in a sudden rush of air and shifted agilely closer to his koibito. When Ryou tilted his chin up to meet gazes, he caught Malik smiling hazily at him. "What time is it?" the Egyptian mumbled, most of his voice thick with an accent heavier than Ryou's soft Japanese.

Shrugging, Ryou turned his face into Malik's neck, away from the streetlamp's colorless brilliance. "Too early for you to be asking that," he replied evenly, shutting his eyes.

Malik maintained a fairly impressive moment-long silence before the lack of noise got to him. "What're you thinking about, my human blanket?" He squirmed under the Ryou cloak to emphasize his jibe.

Groan. "Are you determined to keep me awake?"

"That damn bracelet of yours woke me up, so yes. You don't know cold until you feel Egyptian metal freezing your stomach off."

"At least you found a new way to lose weight, you stick." Ryou smirked, made spiteful by customary morning antagonism. "I'll make it apologize in the morning."

"It _is_ morning." 

"Not in America."

"We're not _in_ America."

"My sense of time is; now leave me alone."

"You're using me for a body pillow - I can choose to sleep in the guest room and leave you all alone."

Ryou turned a bleary, hopeful glance up at his koibito. "Would you?"

Malik tucked his hands behind his head and smirked. "Sure. And then you can spend the rest of the night tossing and turning because you can't sleep without clinging to me, you possessive octopus."

"…Shimatta." (1)

Chuckling, Malik threaded a casual hand through moon-softened hair, his breaths gentle and unstrained by Ryou's ear. For once completely at ease with his world. "Should we be worried about Sora and Riku?" he asked nonchalantly.

Ryou considered it for a moment, then shrugged. "It sounds like they have their own agenda to keep. And while I'm curious to see what they're up to, I'm too sick of world domination plots to care. I'm just ignoring it until it's over with."

Malik's sudden burst of laughter shattered the tranquil aura of the room like a cement block through a pane of glass. Ryou raised his head warily, eyebrows vanished under silver fringe. The blond, his head thrown back in hysteria, was nearly breathless with laughter, choking out gasps as his voice began to ebb.

"…." Ryou blinked.

Eyes flooded with mirth, Malik leaned up and settled his forehead against Ryou's. "You're so much like me sometimes it's frightening, tako," (2) he said, amusement belying the mock seriousness in his tone.

Ryou took advantage of the position to touch his lips gently to Malik's, smiling sweetly. "I do try," he said wryly. "And don't call me 'octopus'. _You_," he prodded Malik's collarbone emphatically,"have _plenty_ of bad habits I can rag on, too."

Propping one of his elbows on the mattress, Malik lifted the other to play idly with his koi's tousled sidelock. "Name one," he challenged, almost absently laying a kiss on the soft plane of Ryou's forehead.

Wrinkling his nose in concentration, Ryou bolstered both elbows on Malik's ribcage and began ticking off fingers as he recalled his mentally-formed list. "You're paranoid, you're a neat freak of the worst kind, you refuse to eat out with me because of your unfounded dislike of meat, when we _do_ go out, you deliver death scowls at anyone who so much as breathes at us, hm…since getting your butt kicked by Yami, your archrival is a _cat_…you _still_ wear clothes sold in teenage girls' stores - "

"I said 'one'," Malik said dryly.

Ryou smiled angelically and nuzzled his nose against Malik's. "It's your own fault for being born human," he said with a shallowly restrained giggle.

Fondly, Malik smiled back. "Narcissus," he teased softly.

Ryou tilted his chin smugly. "Peasant," he said, proudly flitting his tongue out.

Lifting an eyebrow, Malik took him up on that offer and easily flipped Ryou on his back, snickering at the undignified squawk. "Don't make promises you can't keep," he taunted, pinning the younger boy's wrists over his head.

Ryou sputtered for a few seconds, eyes wider than the Ring he wore. Finally, after several fruitless stabs at coherent argument, he settled on, "Whaa?"

Malik smirked and closed his mouth gently over Ryou's. Any protests or confusion flickered once, twice, then melted away.

__

Oh, to Hell with it, Ryou thought exasperatedly and circled his arms around the Egyptian's neck.

Then, as if cued, Malik drew back, grinning. "Don't you have school tomorrow?"

Incredulously, Ryou gaped. "You can't be serio - "

Malik smirked and dipped closer to the other boy, his mouth mere breaths from Ryou's. Abruptly the white-haired bishounen clamped his mouth shut with an audible _clap_.

"I don't think your teachers would appreciate you taking extra courses behind their backs."

"What extra - _mmph_!"

Faster than fire, Malik made quick work of ending their conversation and snickered against Ryou's honeyed lips. Coaxed by the absent swipes of the Egyptian's thumb, Ryou relaxed his tense wrists and snagged one bronzed hand with practiced fingers. He gave Malik's fingers a lazy squeeze and tilted his head back, nudging the older boy's nose in an offhand Eskimo kiss.

Unluckily for Ryou, however, Malik was hard pressed to follow his rather demonic tendencies that night and withdrew from the sweet kiss just as Ryou's lips parted for him. With a decidedly smug smirk, he said, "Besides, haven't you already taken sex ed?"

One warning Look and feverishly deprived kiss later, Malik opted to leave early-morning humor for the less early-morning-slaughter-happy.

**

__

Lavender eyes. Sanity lathered with dust. Mocha peppered with skin-deep crimson. A night like the oceans, blanketed with the ragged caps of froth…memories held underneath the snowy crowns…. A night.

Heat so intense it feels like ice, though he's only heard of the stuff in text.

Text…. Myths. Legends. Histories…. Duty. Family. Heritage….

__

Ice. Fire. Blood. Salt.

****

Duty.

****

Family.

****

Heritage.

Shadows.

…_Hatred…._

Darkness….

…Oblivion.

Light….

"F-father! IIIIAAAAA!"

**

"_IA!_ _KHALOUNI_!" (3)

Every ribbon of cozy silence in the Bakura household recoiled into nonexistence at the nightmare-invoked scream. The sounds of thrashing and repressed sobs followed, evidence of unhealed wounds slowly splitting open again. Only when a terror-possessed limb overbalanced the rest of his weight did Malik crumble from bed and slip free of the oppressive nighttime snares.

Muted by wild panic, Malik slowly pulled fragments of his composure together, his half-dazed mind then clumsily piecing them together. While reality cleared into better focus, flashes of his turmoil fought to reclaim him. Suddenly the blanket twisted around his waist felt colder than wire caked with ice.

Shivering, he rasped, "Ryou?"

Silence.

Dropping his trembling hands like lead from his aching temples, Malik glanced sharply at the bed he had just vacated, lilac eyes sweeping the cool sheets in a panic. Gone. His koibito was gone.

__

No, he thought hastily, _he must be at school._

When reality touched to the bottom of his consciousness, Malik scowled.

__

The fuck is he doing at school? I'm in the middle of a crisis, here!

Taking hold of the tousled blond sidelocks just behind his ears, the Egyptian pulled his forehead to rest on his knees, sighing shakily and forcing his subconscious to shut the hell up long enough for the room to stop blurring. Finally, the unshed tears fled his still quivering lashes, leaving his eyes looking sleepy and red.

"If having a shitty father figure in your life turns you gay, I must be fucking flamboyant," he grumbled bitterly, roughly raking fingernails through soft, blond hair.

The room was in sharp focus again, the vacant bed a foreign ache and the window framing a cloudless ocean his reprieve. Reaching the conclusion that neither sleep nor comfort would surrender to him without Ryou in close vicinity, Malik searched the room for the keys to his motorcycle.

"Where _are_ they?" he growled in frustration after ten minutes of searching in vain. "I left them right here on the - "

"Reeow?"

Malik cried out at the sudden brush of silk against his ankle and twisted around to face his attacker. A furry little -

"Chibi youkai neko!" (4)

Apparently, the house wasn't as empty as previously assumed. "You spawn of Ammut! How did you get here?" Suspiciously, Malik's eyes narrowed. "Where are my keys, you drain-clogging hairball?" he snarled.

Tabibito, Isis' sweet-faced kitten, purred vociferously and mewled up at his mistress' brother.

Malik scowled. "Don't play stupid with me, neko - _where did you put them_?!"

"Rreeow? Prr'rawr?"

"I'm not by any stretch of the imagination in the mood for you, you wooly ankle-biter - now _give me my keys_!"

Tabibito blinked and turned on his heels, prancing out of the room with his tangerine tail held high.

With a disgusted groan, Malik shot a poisonous scowl at the heavens above, fully prepared to stare down the Powers That Be until his keys miraculously materialized when -

__

Jing jang jingjingjing.

Malik dubiously glanced over his shoulder and choked on his disbelief as the until now ignored kitten tail flickered from view through the doorway. His damn keys were looped around the demon's tail!

__

…I wonder if there's a difference between lucky rabbit's feet and lucky cat's tails? …Hm, I'll just have to hack one off of each and compare.

"DIE, NEKO!"

**

Ryou normally had Malik drive him to school, but due to reported complaints of motor noise shattering the morning peace, his sensei had demanded Ryou find an alternate means of transportation. I.e., the bus - large, rectangular, metal box from Hades…wheeled shoebox of the Underworld…not Malik's motorcycle….

A poor substitute if there ever was one, if you were to query Ryou.

So it was with great reluctance and sadness that Ryou waited for the bus, arms folded almost petulantly and gaze aimed at the traffic lights across the street. _Baka residents - baka sensei - baka motorcycle - baka koibito sleeping in without me. I'll put meatballs in his spaghetti later on…that'll teach him. Hrmph._

Sighing, Ryou nestled uncomfortably in the bench, exhaustedly curled into his lumpy schoolbag. School nights - bad nights for playing the role of hormonally possessed, lovestruck teenager. The fact that his costar in said role was sleeping like a baby wrapped in _his_ blankets did little to assuage Ryou's burned sense of justice. A mite of this dawn-dragged malevolence might have been avoided had Malik not abandoned him halfway through the night for one of the stuffed, lavender-furred cats Amene had slept with as a baby. Nope. None at all.

Neko seducing bastard.

"Oyaho, Ryou-baka!"

Speak of Anubis.

Wait, _Malik_?

Ryou's head repelled from its snug niche quicker than an anorexic faced with a double fudge triple-scoop ice cream boat. _With_ almonds. "_Malik_?" He stared over his shoulder at the mock-cheerfully smiling Egyptian in paralyzed shock.

"What are you doing he…." Ryou stopped short and paused, eyes narrowing dangerously. "What did you call me?!"

Malik merely winked and vaulted over the bench agilely, landing directly beside his baffled itoshi. Then, careful to avoid eye contact, he yawned, felinely arched his back and plopped his head unceremoniously into Ryou's lap. Only then did he snap open his eyes and grin up sweetly at his snowy-haired bishounen.

Ryou blinked once, twice…then impassively smacked Malik upside the head.

"_Iiittaaaiii_!" whined Malik with a grimace, cradling his aching head between his palms. "Ne, that _hurt_!"

"So will this!" Ryou giggled, raising his hand again.

"Oi!" Sitting up quickly and warding off the playful attacks, Malik cried, "Hey, I didn't come all this way to get beaten by my abusive koibito, you know!"

Ryou paused thoughtfully. "What did you come for, then?"

After a moment's consideration, a slow smirk tugged at Malik's lips.

Ryou scooted to the other end of the bench quickly. "No. You wouldn't let me sleep last night and you're not making me miss school again."

"But you lied so well last time!"

Ryou's glare was warning enough. "Beginner's luck," he said with narrowed eyes.

"Beginner," snickered Malik. "Sure, koi."

Ryou smirked. "Speaking of beginners…aren't you normally supposed to cry when you wake up to an empty bed the morning after? What are you, new?"

His blond koi was not amused. "_Ha_." Petulantly, his arms circled around his chest, his exaggerated scowl rapidly dipping in maturity. "I'm never going to live like a normal teenager," groused Malik. "No parents to bitch at and no school to bitch about." A glare thrown askance at his koi. "But look at what I _do_ have. A bitchy _boyfriend_." Emphasized with an intensified scowl.

Ryou tilted his head to one side, soulful brown eyes alight with a mischievous glint. "Just exactly what are you taking before you go to bed, itoshi?" he teased.

"Sleeping pills," Malik answered absently.

A moment of hesitation gobbled the comfortable banter between them, Ryou's eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. "Ma_-lik_!" Delivered with a sharp, _hard_ slap to the shoulder.

"Itai! Enough with that! What's wrong with sleeping pills?!"

"They're _drugs_!"

"_Prescription_ drugs!"

"Call them what you want, the word 'drugs' is still attached!"

A pause, shortly followed by a chuckle. "You're painfully cute when you're naïve, tako," said Malik.

Ryou glared venomously. "I'm not naïve! You're the one that had a cardiac arrest at the coming attractions at the movie theater!"

"It was the first time I'd ever been in a movie theater!"

"Then you had no excuse to jump at the end when the lights came back on!"

"I did so! You shouldn't have taken my shirt off!"

"You should have done it first before the movie was half over!"

Glare.

Scowl.

A crackle of tension sizzled between them before the corners of their mouths lifted in similar affectionate smiles.

"Commoner." Nose upturned.

"Dumb blond." Raspberry blown.

"Tako." Smile.

"Baka." Kiss.

Major morning argument over and done with, Ryou returned to Malik's side and snuggled into the outstretched arm. "So," he said conversationally, keeping a keen eye settled on the street for his bus, "why _did_ you come all the way out here?"

Malik shifted awkwardly. "Uhm…I'd rather…er. I'd rather not say."

Ryou frowned, turning his head painfully to inspect his koibito's expression.

Sighing, Malik buried his chin in the snowy tufts of Ryou's hair and frowned. "Had a nightmare," he said quietly.

Ryou's eyes softened in understanding. Silence thick between them, he eventually reached back and drew Malik's free arm around his waist, lacing their fingers tightly. Then solemnly, he nestled his head into the snug niche between the Egyptian's neck and shoulder, content with giving the mute reassurance.

"I'm sick of seeing it," murmured Malik against Ryou's temple.

Ryou nodded faintly, eyelashes dusting sun-drenched skin as he closed his eyes. "I remember thinking you were a mite off when you first told me about it."

Malik grimaced and thwapped his koi's hip. "Last time I tell _you_ about my dreams."

Snorting, Ryou retorted lazily, "No sane person dreams about his sister's cat stealing his boyfriend."

"…."

"Um - wrong nightmare?"

Malik growled. "Wrong nightmare."

Ryou flushed and smiled sheepishly over his shoulder. "Well, that one _was _pretty traumatizing. At least for me," he added in a stage murmur.

"Hmph."

"So, which was it this time?"

As he threaded slightly shuddering fingers through Ryou's hair, Malik said solemnly into his neck, "My father."

The Egyptian was glad to have already one of Ryou's hands tangled in his own, an extra measure of comfort despite the surprise in Ryou's tone. "You haven't dreamt of that in months," the younger boy observed, looking upside-down at Malik's serious expression. "Are you all right?"

Malik studied Ryou's face thoughtfully, feeling the tenseness in his shoulders melting from his high priority notice. Deciding with a smile that this was evidence enough that the nightmare was no match for Ryou on his list of priorities, Malik cast the warped memory to the back of his mind. He smiled and idly traced the contours of Ryou's armband through his school uniform. "Hai, I'm fine."

Ryou grinned and seized Malik's nomadic hand with his free one, making a show of curling the Egyptian's arm around his waist to join his previously captured one. "Good," said Ryou, still smiling wrong-side-up into Malik's amused gaze, "'cause I'd feel guilty if you woke up from a nightmare and I wasn't there to hold your hand."

Malik chuckled. "Asshole." At Ryou's squawk of indignation, he merely snickered and squeezed his arms ruthlessly around the lean waist.

A short scuffle followed, during which Ryou managed to use his knowledge of Do Not Touch areas against his breathless koibito.

"S-S-STOP!" Malik gasped out. "Y-your bus is coming!"

Lithe fingers made quick work of silencing the older boy, Ryou smirking as the blond gave frantic efforts to removing his koi from where he sat on his chest. "RYOU!"

"Hai?" Fingers dug into the Egyptian's ribs, in reaction to which Malik screamed and nearly swallowed his lip to keep from giggling.

"_S-stop_! _You don't tickle tomb guardians!_" cried Malik desperately.

Ryou paused pensively and rested his back against the slope of Malik's bent legs. "Is _that _what you are, now?" he teased. "I thought you were the flamboyant misfit."

Malik winked. "Anything for you, lover."

Ryou giggled and neatly avoided the sudden swipe of tanned arms, twisting off of the Egyptian's chest to land somewhat clumsily on the sidewalk. While Malik struggled with abused stomach muscles to sit up, Ryou winked and boarded the bus that had been resting dormant on the curb for the past few seconds.

The driver didn't bother making eye contact with either boy, the one boarding or the other incredulously staring from the bench, merely staring emotionlessly into the distance.

"That was fighting dirty, Bakura!" Malik shouted.

Ryou grinned proudly over his shoulder and waved at his deadpan koibito. "Ja, Malik-chan!" Emphasized with a rather vicious wink.

Malik rolled his eyes fondly as the bus began to shuffle away. Lazily, he glanced at the few passengers who dared gawk at him. The mere lift of his eyebrow was enough to send them scrambling fearfully for an alibi, raising wrong-side-up papers or hastily searching for glasses that perched elusively atop heads.

Absently Malik ignored their rush to hide their interest in him, instead quickly spotting Ryou and lifting his hand in a small wave.

Ryou glanced behind him, grinned, and turned around to blow a kiss at his Egyptian.

For the rest of the day, Malik carried with him a glow of pride in his koibito to accompany the remembered look of utter panic on Honda Hiroto's face as the bus waned into the rising sun beams.

**

In a wince-provoking demonstration of youthful agility, Riku flipped backwards and avoided meeting Shinigami (5) for the eighth time that morning. However, his move to elude death by the Heartless' weapon would leave him slightly disoriented when he landed. The Heartless closing in realized this as well and barked out foreign commands to those following him just before Riku's feet touched the ground.

"_RIKU!_"

Sora watched in horror as the armored Heartless drove his sword through Riku's waist, his fingers numb and trembling on the hilt of his Keyblade. Frantically he began mowing through the lines of less powerful Heartless that dared part him from his koibito, eyes glassy with protective fury.

Riku felt the rush of pain from his lower abdomen and muffled the instinctual cry of pain. Instead, he raised his wicked sword and brought it down viciously on the Heartless captain's helmet. A resounding _clang_ split the air and in tandem with the falling creature, the blade was roughly dragged from his body.

Showing no loss over their fallen leader, the five lesser Heartless extended rounded claws and formed a semicircle, blocking the wounded sword-wielder's escape.

Riku's back grazed the brick wall behind him and his eyes glazed with exhaustion and now weary realization. Suffering through engulfing pain, Riku raised the dark Keyblade with bloody and badly shaking hands. A Heartless to his right lashed out at him and while the distracted boy launched a costly attack on his attacker, another Heartless directly behind him buried a set of claws in his back.

Sora's cry ripped through the sudden silence, his own body aflame with horror as Riku merely grunted and tumbled to his knees, the Heartless' claws raking slowly down his back.

"_RIKU!_"

With an effort the older boy turned his head and met his koi's terrified gaze. Then, grimacing, he crumpled the remainder of the way to the ground.

"_NO! RIKU!_"

Hell may hath no fury like a woman scorned, but even that pales in comparison to a protective lover with a Keyblade.

Desperation akin to a dying animal bled through Sora, his Keyblade felling every creature so bold as to block his path to Riku. They couldn't finish this alone, he realized grimly. The Heartless were nearly invincible, strengthened with some kind of spiritual power. They had easily taken down Sora the night before and today, Riku. This could not continue. They needed a better strategy.

Behind him, Sora heard the scuffle and scraping of supplementary Heartless. Apparently, they hoped to drown the two boys with an overwhelming attack. However, Sora thought sharply, they wouldn't get that chance. He drove one of the black-toned creatures into the ground fiercely and bolted down the alleyway to the corner Riku lay in.

Sora dropped to his knees before his fallen tenshi and quickly sheathed his Keyblade. Gently he pried Riku's own sword from his crimson-stained hands and slung it over his shoulder. Then, eyes awash with concern, Sora hastily drew Riku's wilted body into his arms, grateful that he'd become a bit stronger since his fifteenth year. Riku, ironically (and much to Sora's smug amusement) and now very luckily, had only grown taller. He hadn't gained a pound since sixteen. It wasn't as difficult to cart Riku's dead weight around as Sora had feared.

Riku was going to hurt him if he ever found out Sora's smug glee in his slender figure.

Glancing over his shoulder at the approaching waves of Heartless, Sora scowled at them all and darted off down the long stretch of alley before him. Riku would also hurt him for retreating, but even Riku would be forced to admit that they couldn't fight against masses this thick.

Their reason for running so impetuously to the borders of Domino City seemed sharper in Sora's mind now than it had been when it first arrived over their heads.

Malik.

**

{{Flashback}}

Sora dreamt prophetical nightmares before crises. Lost somewhere between sleep and Hell, the eighteen-year-old would frown and groan as if burned by some vicious fever, muttering protests against whatever scenes Fate rolled out for him. In some of the milder levels of these nightmares, Riku could dispel the discomfort with a soft kiss to his bijin's dry lips or by smoothing the wayward chestnut locks across the pillow. But with other degrees, the higher and more dangerous similar to the kind he was witnessing now, there was no preventing whom the wave of premonition would crush.

At one point during the haunting incident, Sora let out a chilling scream and nearly squeezed the blood from Riku's hand. Only when he'd calmed down enough to breathe somewhat evenly, Riku grimly stood up to shut the door. They didn't need Ryou and Malik finding out more than they absolutely needed to. The Heartless was their enemy to deal with.

In unison with the soft click of the locking door, Sora bolted upright in bed and looked around the room wildly. "Riku?!" he managed to whisper loudly, sounding panicked.

Riku crossed the room and knelt on the bedside, gently taking one of Sora's shaking shoulders into his hand's soothing grasp. Sora's head whipped in his direction and with only a stifled whimper for warning, Sora tackled him in a crushing embrace. More than used to occurrences like this by now, Riku calmly folded his arms around Sora's back, murmuring softly into his koibito's ear as Sora fought off the cold shivering.

Minutes later, Sora still shook in the warm circle of Riku's arms, but his voice was steady as he murmured, "Sorry. I thought you'd…left." A cold shiver ripped through his body violently. "Without me."

Riku brushed a consoling kiss on his bijin's forehead. "I wouldn't do that to you," he said reasonably.

Earlier, they'd argued over the best means to wrest the Heartless from this world. Sora needed to seal the passageway between this world and all the others, but he couldn't focus on this with so many adversaries in his path. Riku had told him in no uncertain terms that he would take care of the Heartless himself - which went over less than kindly with his paranoid koibito. In light of Sora's arguing, Riku threatened to leave in the dead of night when Sora was still caught up in dreams of the beautiful koibito he always spoke of - but he had thought Sora knew he was only joking. After all, you don't laugh at your boyfriend when he gives you an opening to agree with calling him good-looking.

Presently, Sora looked in no mood to laugh. Seemingly reassured by Riku's soft tones and mere presence, he relaxed against his koibito's chest and buried his head in his neck. "You won't go off without me?" he whispered. "You promise?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "No, Sora." His tone left no bridge for doubt.

Silence. Then, "I saw who we're up against."

Riku nodded encouragingly.

"It's Malik."

**

Yet, now, tearing down an unsightly alleyway with Riku motionless in his arms, Sora began to dismiss his nightmare as entirely idiotic. How could Malik lead the Heartless when he was always with Ryou? That he had suspected Malik at all was beginning to sound absurd. And yet, Riku had listened to his half-panicked ramblings and suggested they leave the house first thing in the morning to finish the job away from Malik's possible interference. Sora had to love him for that - not everyone would believe his boyfriend's distraught accusations against his cousin's lover. And to act on Sora's fears as well…if not for the deluge of vile, heart-swallowing fiends behind them, Sora would have kissed Riku for his cuteness.

But the current matter at hand worried him too much to consider this - or its possibilities of happening soon. Riku was seriously injured and Sora didn't want to know how permanently he was going to lie so limply in his arms. Despite his prophetical (and damnable) nightmare, Sora couldn't shake the feeling of dread at the thought of returning to Ryou's house. Maybe his dream was stupider than the idea of asking the Heartless to pause their hunt for a moment while he showed his appreciation to his kawaii koi with a kiss, but he couldn't bring himself to put Riku in possible danger if it turned out to be real.

So who could they turn to now? Ryou was their only connection to this world and Malik by extension. There _were_ those kids Riku had met the other day, but Sora wasn't sure he wanted to take Riku to any of them - he didn't feel too kindly toward the belligerent busy blonde Riku had described. He'd prefer Malik over her.

But - Ryou had started school again, had he not? Sora's already ragged breath pushed out a sigh of relief as he saw the end of the alley. He could see Ryou about this. Ryou was Riku's cousin. He wouldn't betray them.

He hoped.

**

Ryou found it highly amusing, really. Domino High School's Grapevine of Adolescent Girls (fondly nicknamed GAG by the male population of the school) spread word of Ryuuji and Jounouchi's argument on school grounds in less than a day. If Ryuuji had had any worries about how his relationship with the duelist would be received and affect his day-to-day life…he had been completely justified to panic until the sun turned purple.

At lunch, Ryou approached the miserable older boy with a sense of ease he had grown accustomed to as a result of two years of Malik's goading. Ryuuji had sullenly stationed himself underneath a tree, arms folded sourly as he scowled into the street. Had Ryou not dealt with the worst of Malik's tempers at all hours of the morning, afternoon, evening and "too fucking early to tell", he might have walked away then. As it was, though, Ryou merely stretched out serenely on the grass beside his schoolmate, waiting for Ryuuji to start ranting as he knew he would.

The older boy's jaw tightened before he looked down at the slightly amused face of Bakura Ryou. His mask of hostility faded into something almost defeated. "Konnichiwa, Bakura-kun," he said quietly, then resumed his watch of the busy traffic.

Ryou smiled faintly and folded his arms behind his head. "Daijobu, Otogi-kun?"

"No," Ryuuji answered dourly.

Ryou nodded. Fair. Nobody had left the rumor alone since it began and by now, in public in the faces of his peers where he was usually so loved and now most vulnerable, Ryuuji was surrounded by some of the most hostile opinions he had ever confronted. It was understandable that he'd be irritable. Luckily, one of Ryou's best advantages with his friends was his distant position. No one had to worry about him being so close as to choose sides.

"Has Kaiba-kun heard yet?" questioned Ryou. Obviously, he must have, but he hadn't yet seen the brunet - not, in fact, since the face-off at Eien An'ya during their vacation.

Ryuuji snorted bitterly. "He heard, all right. Apparently he's furious and trying to transfer to another school. Aho."

Ryou bit back the urge to smile. Kaiba and Ryuuji could be so similar at times - little wonder why they hated each other so potently. Even Jounouchi was fonder of the champion duelist than Ryuuji. Now even more so than before.

A small lapse in conversation followed, but Ryou was comforted by the air of thoughtfulness in place of the earlier tension.

Caught out of the corner of Ryou's eye, Ryuuji frowned. "Jounouchi left school an hour ago. He looked terrified."

I'll bet, Ryou agreed silently. I would be, too.

"I want to leave, too."

Ryou peered up and squinted against the sudden break of sunbeams through the tree's arms. "Why don't you?" he asked.

"I want to end this idiocy before Jounouchi comes back to school."

"Do you think you can?"

"If I borrow Yuugi-kun's necklace for a while, I'll bet I could. Or that spikey circle of yours."

Ryou rolled his eyes and unconsciously drew his fingertips over his chest where the Ring lay underneath his school shirt. Ryuuji knew more than a little about the Sennen Items by now - very few of Yuugi's friends didn't after Battle City. Ryuuji seemed to find it amusing, however, to pretend as though he didn't know a thing. (The fact that it annoyed Jounouchi to no end didn't weigh in at _all_.)

"You're lucky."

Ryou's eyes widened. Not a phrase he heard often.

"You are." Ryuuji frowned pensively into the street. "You and Malik. I didn't expect anyone to have fuzzy feelings about you two in the beginning, but how long did it take for everyone to leave you two alone?"

Ryou smiled amusedly. "Otogi-kun, we never told anyone about us."

Ryuuji's eyebrows lifted. "Nani?"

"Yuugi-kun knew - I'm not sure how - and I guess Jounouchi assumed…. I'm not quite sure how everyone found out. But we knew they did when they started staring at us like they expected us to - " Ryou stopped, clamping his jaw shut on the stream of words that would have followed. _Koibito no hentai_, he groaned inwardly. _I'm _not _going to talk like him as well as think like him_.

Silence again, broken only by the occasional snicker from Ryuuji. Ryou blushed.

__

Malik's paying for this severely when I get home.

"Yuugi-kun's been acting strange lately."

Taken by surprise yet again by Ryuuji's stream of consciousness, Ryou asked, "How so?"

"He's been staring at you for days. You haven't noticed?"

"No." Silence. "Do I want to know what your theories are behind this?" asked Ryou warily.

Ryuuji smirked at him.

Ryou blanched. "Hai, I don't," he said hastily.

"You might want to talk to him before Malik finds out. You know how jealous guys can be." His tone was more than somewhat self-mocking and Ryou frowned sympathetically to hear it so punctual in Ryuuji's usually casual voice.

"He probably won't blame you for this forever," he said lightly.

"Who?" Ryuuji snorted. "Kaiba or Jounouchi?"

Ryou smiled thoughtfully. "Oh, no. Kaiba you'll have as an enemy probably closer to forever than Jounouchi."

Ryuuji shook his head in wonder, glancing at the younger boy in something between amazement and amusement. "You're a weird kid, Bakura-kun."

Ryou giggled, "So I've been told." He thought of his golden-haired koibito and rolled his eyes fondly. "Frequently."

With a glance at his watch, Ryuuji sighed and stiffly rose to his feet. He met Ryou's calm gaze and smiled. "Arigatou, Bakura-kun," he said sincerely. "You probably saved a few lives today."

"Why's that?"

The older boy stretched his arms over his head and grinned. "Because now I feel like strangling only half the school."

Ryou smiled dryly. "Glad to hear it. I'm in the fifty percent that lives, ne?"

"I'll consider it."

"You're too kind."

Ryuuji laughed. "Ja, Bakura-kun!"

"Ja."

Even after lunch had long since ended, Ryou lay still in the spattered golden beams beneath the tree. He was content to rest between worlds of consciousness and a light coma until school ended. The day was simply too warm and too beautiful to spend all day indoors. Malik would accuse him of wasting his procrastination skills if he put it off for a better day.

"_Ryou!_"

Strong, panicked hands grabbed his shoulders and rattled his disorientated head in tandem with the rest of his body. His eyes shuttered open and made out the fuzzy, shaking outline of his cousin's koibito.

"S-Sora?"

The brunet released him and sighed a breath of relief. "Hai." He rocked back on his heels and waited for Ryou to sit up.

As soon as he did, Ryou spotted his cousin lying in the grass at Sora's side, ivory hair spilling across his blank face. "What happen - "

"No time," Sora broke in hastily. "He'll stop bleeding, but whenever I move him, the wound opens." He looked around suspiciously and said, "Where's Malik?" in a voice Ryou found he really didn't like.

"At home. Sora, what's this - "

"_Please_, Ryou," begged Sora desperately, "I'll explain everything, but we can't go back to your house."

"_What_?" Ryou's heart began to slow in dread. "What - what's happened?" An image of his house burned to the ground while some fiend cackled over the ashes burst before his blinking lids. "Malik - I've got to get home!"

Sora caught the frightened boy around the waist and pushed him to the ground forcefully. "No! Listen to me…." He hesitated, then glanced at his koibito's lifeless form. Whatever doubts he must have been harboring vanished in light of the danger he might put Riku's life in. "We think Malik's the one leading the Heartless," he said quickly.

Ryou stared. "You think Malik's leading the Heartless," he repeated tonelessly.

Sora nodded slowly.

"I think civilization was too much too fast for you, Sora," Ryou said, a touch spitefully.

Sora's eyes flashed with something akin to anger. His lips parted to fire back an acidic retort, but a muffled groan from the grass clapped his teeth back together.

Riku's hand slowly curled into a loose fist, seemingly searching for the hilt of his Keyblade. His bijin swiftly tangled his fingers in Riku's and squeezed gently. A moment later, Riku's eyelashes shivered and started to rise. "Sora…?"

Sora smiled. "Hai, itoshi, it's me."

"What happened?"

"One of the Heartless used your back for a cheese grater."

"Oh. …Do you mind knocking me out again?"

"Mmm," Sora smiled, ruffling Riku's hair fondly. "You know, I do?"

"Sora," growled Riku warningly.

Ryou watched the exchange for a moment, patiently, then said slowly, "Let me see his back."

Riku's eyes narrowed and Ryou frowned in concern to see the glassy look of pain that shone there. Sora, however, consented to Ryou's request and gently eased Riku's black shirt up to his shoulder blades. Riku let out a long hiss of pain, clutching the grass in tufts rather than lowering his dignity and holding Sora's proffered hand.

Ryou rolled his eyes - exactly like Malik. At Sora's insistent shoving, Riku grumbled and lay on his stomach, arms pillowing his head. Slowly trailing his gaze from Riku's petulant scowl, Ryou nearly gagged at the sight before him. Blood trailed in rivulets from four jagged slices between Riku's shoulder blades. Sora was silent, eyes downcast and worried.

"We can't take him to a hospital," the brunet said at length, voice grim. "We can't risk staying any one place for too long."

Riku nodded and winced as he sat up, looking dizzy until he submitted to the daze and fell into Sora's arms. That he would allow such a drop in pride worried Ryou more than the injury. Malik never would have permitted babying, either, unless half of his blood was smeared across Domino City.

"Why does it matter if you stay at the hospital?" asked Ryou. "They're not following you now."

"No," said Riku. "But the Heartless know I'm injured and they'll tell their leader. He'll probably be smart enough to assume where we'd go in that case."

Sora looked down at his koi and grimaced. "You're washing my shirt after this is over," he grumbled.

"I'll do nothing of the sort," growled Riku, "you'll go around shirtless and like it."

Sora grinned at Ryou. "See, it's more mental damage than physical."

"Pa'a ka waha," Riku muttered fiercely.

Ryou blinked. "What language was that?"

Sora rolled his eyes theatrically. "We visited his grandmother in Hawaii last year," he explained in a suffering deadpan.

"So what's he saying?"

Riku smirked. "Honi ko'u 'elemu!"

Ryou grinned sweetly in return. "Askut, yebnen kelp." (6)

Riku blinked. "That wasn't Hawaiian or Japanese."

"I know." Ryou winked. "It was Arabic, compliments of my itoshi."

Sora and Riku exchanged a Look, which was shortly interrupted by another hiss from Riku as he gave an admirable effort to sitting up on his own. His efforts were rewarded with a cuff to the back of his head and a scowl from Sora.

"Stop moving until I can wrap that!"

"I can't help it - it itches!"

Sora froze. "It what?"

Riku pulled back slightly, enough to meet Sora's frightened eyes seriously. "What's the matter, bijin?"

Sora's face slowly drained of color, his arms circling Riku tightening. With a haunted look at Ryou, he yelped, "That was part of my nightmare!"

"The one where you ate a paopu fruit with Wakka?"

Sora facevaulted.

Riku smiled sheepishly. "Wrong nightmare?"

Sora slapped him upside the head.

**

However distracted from the normal route of sanity Ryou believed Sora to be, he reluctantly agreed to go home ahead of the other two and pull Malik out of the house for a few hours while Riku recuperated. Sora suspected ulterior motives - Ryou mentioned Eien An'ya and Malik's overcharged hormones in the same grumbled sentence.

Just the same, it left Riku and him some time alone that didn't involve fighting black bubble-headed tools of death. "Come back to the house in an hour," Ryou had told them at the park's entrance. "Stay upstairs if you're so paranoid about my koibito. I'll keep him downstairs." Riku had been tempted to ask how he would keep Malik distracted, but Sora beat his hentai thoughts to their conclusion and sent him a warning Look. "Look" in this case translated to "no comfort sex after you're recovered".

For their hour in the park, Sora decided to shred his shirt into ribbons and wrap Riku's back and hip the best he could. Riku gave very little dispute to this since his pros list was several dozen bullets longer than his cons. Seeing Sora half naked took up about ten of these bullets.

"So, bijin," he said, taking in the sight contentedly. "What else was in this nightmare of yours?"

Sora's forehead creased. "I'd rather not talk about it. It was too weird."

Riku struggled a moment with his weary body and lifted himself up on one elbow. "Indulge me, weirdo."

With a chuckle, Sora paused in his task and smacked Riku's nose sweetly. "In your condition, sweet thing?"

"…American sitcoms are despicable."

Sora hmm'd thoughtfully. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy isn't that bad."

Riku smiled. "So _that_'s why you've been dressing better."

"Fuck off," Sora laughed.

"So…nightmare?"

Sora sighed and splayed his hand over the dressed wound. "I told you once already."

"No." Malik weaved their fingers together and kissed the back of Sora's hand. Resting their clasped hands on his chest, then, he grinned, "You told me about the paopu fruit nightmare three nights ago."

Sora growled.

Unperturbed, Riku continued, "The only think I heard about last night's nightmare was that you saw Malik opening some door."

Sora bowed his head and tied off the ends of random bandages. "Hai…."

"You missed the other ten minutes you were screaming in."

"No, I didn't. I neatly avoided them."

"The hell you did; tell me." Riku's depthless eyes almost shimmered in the sunlight and Sora scowled.

"You're an asshole."

Riku smiled lazily and folded his arms beneath his head. "You never complain."

Sora flushed crimson. "You're going to give me a nosebleed if you keep that up."

"Again, you never complain; now - what else was in this dream that scared you half to hell?"

"Interesting way of putting it." Riku's face began to tighten into a glower. "All right, fine," sighed Sora. "I saw…I saw Tidus."

Riku frowned skeptically. "The kid from the island? Messy blond hair, sexy blue eyes?"

"_He was thirteen the last time you saw him!_"

Riku shrugged, beaming. "And I was fifteen. Doesn't change the fact he was cute."

Sora clapped a palm over his eyes and murmured condolences to himself.

Eyes glowing with amusement, Riku chuckled, "So, what about Tidus?"

Sora sobered and threaded light fingertips through the fringe of Riku's hair. "He's alive, Riku."

**

Yami no Yuugi lit a candle in the corner of his soul room, shelling light on a sealed door. Athari stood patiently behind him, one hand resting steadily on his lover's hip. "That's the one," he said, his Egyptian accent almost comic mixed in with the Japanese words.

"You're sure?" Yami no Yuugi lifted a suspicious eyebrow.

Athari nodded, strangely solemn as he inspected the hieroglyphs on the door. "Open it."

"I can't."

This set the Egyptian thief off a bit. "Why?"

Yami no Yuugi smirked and tugged a sable lock of his koi's hair. "It's sealed, Athari," he said mirthfully.

The thief grinned. "Not a problem."

"Oh, yes, it is." The former pharaoh blocked Athari's meddling hands from touching the door with a warning look. "I'm not letting you open doors at random inside of my soul, Athari."

"Really?" Athari leaned in and stole a short kiss from Yami no Yuugi's skeptically-pursed lips. When he pulled back, his koi abandoned the ever-present look of sarcasm and smiled faintly. "Then you call this…what?"

Yami no Yuugi tilted his head and snagged Athari's hand, twining their fingers deftly. "You know what _I_ would call it," he said smugly.

Athari sighed dramatically. "Yes, well, it isn't as though I don't _try_ to detach your heart from your hips."

Chuckling, Yami no Yuugi folded his arms around Athari's neck and idly toyed with the midnight-touched locks. "You're much more attractive now," he said impishly.

"You're building your pyramids upside down, Khetire," warned Athari with an arched eyebrow.

With a wink (a gesture he picked up from Jounouchi), Yami no Yuugi pressed a hand to the back of Athari's neck and pulled the chuckling thief into a kiss on his _own_ terms. Assured Athari wouldn't move or tease, Yami no Yuugi slipped his hands down to the younger Egyptian's waist, gently stroking his thumbs against the golden skin of his slender waist. Athari grinned, unseen by his koi, and bit down impishly on Yami no Yuugi's lower lip.

The former pharaoh groaned. "_Much_ more attractive."

Athari smirked and shrugged his robe to his elbows, exposing the sinewy chest tauntingly. "Such a shame we have to spend all this time trying to find a _safe_ way through the door…."

Yami no Yuugi's eyes narrowed. "Yes, very disappoint - "

Long, tapered fingertips skimmed his lean stomach, ending all suspicions at least in Yami no Yuugi's mind. Kohl-smoothed eyelashes fluttered closed and Athari snickered, lowering his mouth to his lover's neck. A few moments later, Yami no Yuugi choked out, "All right, all right! I'll open the door!"

"I thought you'd see it my way, baby."

Blond eyebrows rocketed to the crest of Yami no Yuugi's forehead. "I'm sorry?"

Athari grinned. "Saw Ryou's cousin watching American daytime television once."

Yami no Yuugi sighed, palming the curve of his koibito's shoulders. "We must find more constructive ways for you to spend your time in your soul room, my love."

"I've planned out a few." Hands dipped underneath the older Egyptian's shirt and played wickedly with Yami no Yuugi's reflexes.

"Celibacy in the Ring did nothing to dissuade your stamina, did it, Athari?" teased Yami no Yuugi.

Shivers trickled down his spine at the feel of fangs gingerly threading the niche between shoulder and neck. "Disappointed?"

"Extremely. You might have to prove your restraint to me, my Ring guardian."

"Next millennium sound appropriate?"

"Quite."

Oh, how green the candle burned the night the Puzzle related _that_ romp.

**

To be Continued…

I caught the tail end of "Dungeon Dice Monsters" a few hours ago (I rarely watch TV, and the minute I do - ^___^) which is the reason for extra Ryu. I love him. ^__~ You know, before I wrote this, I couldn't see Jounouchi with _anyone_ save Seto. Thanks to this…I'm as big a fan of them as I am of Yami no Yuugi and Yami no Bakura. ^___^ How's that for broadening horizons?

Just a random note - _Pirates of the Caribbean_ has _amazing_ fan fiction. ^___^ And I don't mean the het. ^_~

Whee! Review replies!

****

Kira-Kura - Brilliant? *Blush* I have a review with the word "brilliant" in it? And "sophisticated"! Eee! ^_________^ I'm ecstatic! Hehe! Arigatou, shoujo! O__O And that was only for chapter one. ^__^ I love reviewers. **schu-chan** - I was rec'd? Really? Wow. __ Whee! I was rec'd! LOL! I didn't know so many people were fans of Kingdom Hearts! Makes me all glowy inside. ^__^ **Bishie Babe** - Aww, I'm so glad you liked it. ^__^ Ooh! I converted! I love converting people to the wonder that is Malry. ^__^ **Annie** - Well, since you said "please" and all…. ^__~ **onlyHAUNTED - **Dang. Three days? Well, not counting this chapter, the story's 116 pages. O_o _That's _something I didn't see coming. Yuugi's currently single, yes. Why? Because I cringe to think of him paired with anyone. He's much too young and…small. I think I'm one of the four people alive that doesn't see or like Yami no Yuugi/Yuugi. Then again, I'm one of the four that pairs Ryou with Malik instead of Bakura. ^__~ It's all good, ne? Well, you got your hope with Riku and Sora! I missed writing them. Plus I was writing Sunkissed at the same time - word to the wise, writing stories at the same time will cause them to bleed into each other. ^__^ Glad you liked it! **Sailor Comet** - Yay! Another returning reviewer! *Gives Tidus plushie* Hehe. I'm on a KH binge this chapter. Notice? You notice you hit half of the vowels in your review? "a, e, o". Good work. ^__~ I'm so glad everyone likes Sora and Riku. I figured, "Hey, I love them, they will too" in that kind of "If they don't, tough cupcakes" (cupcakes: a Very Aggressive pastry) way. Yami no Malik will return in his lunatic glory next chapter. Promise. ^__~ Who's Magus? **Bakuraluva** - Aww, thank you. ^___^ You stayed up all night to read it!? O__O Wow. Impressive. *Claps* Yay! *Hands over Ryou and Malik chibi plushies* Hold 'em together and their noses attract because of the little magnets inside! (Ever gotten those? Aren't they cute?) Hehe, don't worry about _every_ chapter. Just so long as you review, I'm happy. ^__^ **You Smell Like Stink** - Okay. Have fun. **Kilam** - ^___^ You have to love Riku and Sora. Anyone who can both confuse _and_ embarrass Ryou at the same time without breaking a sweat or feeling bad has to be cool. ^__^ Hehe, thank you. *Blush* The motorcycle scene is actually one of my favorites as well. I'd love to see Ryou's hair afterward. ^__~ Doumo arigatou, Kilam. ^___^ I'm actually speechless for once. So instead of making myself sound like a _total_ airhead…. *Glomp* Arigatou! ^___^ See, now I'm just a scary author. ^__~ As for the superfluous parts of the story…. That's actually what I was aiming for, and I'm glad someone noticed. ^__^ I wanted to have breaks in between the action so people could get the feeling that real life could go on during all of this. Besides, I think hostile takeovers would take longer than a few weeks, ne? ^__^ **Keaira** - Whee! Kyra-chan! *Glomp!* Yeah, sounds like it's just you. But we love you anyway. *Cracks whip* Update, thou lazy author-san! ^___~ **American BadAss** - Actually, Yami no Malik means "Darkness of Malik". Though if "Yami" were only a name, like Bob (hehe), you'd be right. In this case, though, "Yami" is Japanese for "Dark" or "Darkness". Hope that cleared things up for you. **Kyrene (once Blood Roses)** - Hehe, Sora and Riku made their glorious return - don't worry, I wouldn't leave them out for long. ^__^ I don't think you're full of it. Quite the contrary, I'm impressed you figured it out. ^_~ I used to watch _Days of Our Lives_ with my grandma and sister, so that's why I made fun of it. I always thought they were slightly melodramatic…which matches Malik perfectly. *Grin* (Ie: "I want my body back!" *Snicker* He sounds like a four-year-old.) **Renee the Rabid Squirrel **- Hehe, arigatou. ^__^ I don't think reviews of any story of mine has made me blush so often. Grammar is my biggest pet peeve, so I'm glad I'm doing it right! ^__^ **Jess-chan** - ^______^ Arigatou! I love your reviews, hehe. They take up a page in Word! Whee! Hehe. Ooh. Cake-flinging is good. Next chapter - promise. ^__~ Mud wrestling I can work in - thanks to The Thunderstorm. *Grin* Oh, sure, _everything_ is Trei's fault. Hmph. ^__^ Aww, glad you like it. And of course they're meant to be - they're MTB! ^___^ I think we should change the pairing title. "Angstshipping"…they're not angsty! Riku _is_ a dork. But he's cute, so we forgive him. LMAO! I love that scene! ^____^ Poor, dear Hiei. Yami no Yuugi is strange period. ^___^ He just hides it better than some other midgets we know. *Eyes Yuugi* Malik's the stereotypical Jealous Boyfriend. Except without the fear of prison. He still has his Rare Hunters hidden somewhere. *Grin* Aww, arigatou. ^__^ Malik _is_ the hottest villain. Bakura's the hottest bad guy. There, no feelings hurt. ^_~ o_O You're not serious. Yuugi and Kurama are the same seiyuu!? Eugh! That's just…ew. Poor Kura! Working on that. Cameos are hard to fit in here now, thanks to Tidus. Oi. Hehe. I'll try, though. We have Slasher Logic, Yaoist Logic, Shounen-ai Logic…it never ends. ^__~ Aw, c'mon. You know I love rambling reviews. It makes me feel important. ^___~ You're right. Seto/Ryou's probably never ever going to even get evidence, but hey, we always have Malik/Ryou to hope for. ^____^ **Topazia** - That seems to be everyone's concern, though I have no idea why. ^_~ I won't forget about NtF! I love this piece of silly nonsense too much to give it up. Ooh, sugar. Good idea! Good thing it's lunch time. ^_~ **BishounenzAngel** - Hehe. *Sheepish look* ^__^;;; Thank you though. ^__^ Another frequent reviewer! ^__^ **Crying Forever** - Wow, I love reviewers! ^_____^ I'm so glad I'm writing them well. It's not even second nature anymore to pair them together. It's gone straight to first. ^_~ Writing Seto/Ryou's hard…I can't get out of the Malry state of mine! Bah. Oh well, I'm trying. ^__~ **Shadowy Fluffball - **Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay! Whew. ^___^** Reen** - Aww, thank you. I know the feeling. When I don't look around for a while, I can't believe all the things I missed! Thank God for that review section in our login screens. I'd be entirely lost without it. **Froz Flame **- ^___^ Arigatou! I love sap. It's the One True Way. ^__~ **Kiirar** - You hentai! *Scolding Finger of Doom* Yami no Malik ain't gettin' _near_ Malik in _this_ story. =P So there. ^___~ Maybe not a Heartless in a birthday cake so much as a…oh, that's right. Can't tell you that either. *Grin* **chibi_ai** - Yami no Malik's a heartless wench - he's probably going to do something bad. *Nodnod* Thief!Yami no Bakura would look gorgeous with black hair. ^___^ If I could make hearts around that, I would. ^___~ **Sarith McGregor** - ^__^ Konnichiwa, Sarith! Good to hear it was worth the wait. I certainly wasn't expecting everyone to be so kind about it. I was expecting bombs to go off in my ears. …That was the oddest thing I've said all chapter. -_- *Shrug* Sorry, my mistake. ^__^ I'm a Ewan McGregor fan. ^___^ Gorgeous Scot that he is. **Darkest Side of Death** - Hehe, thanks. Usual stuff works. ^__^ **Elle-FaTe2x1** - Aww! *Blush!* See! Told you! Blushing again! Oi. I guess I can no longer claim that I never blush…oh well, there's always lying. ^_~ Arigatou! Also, thank you for staying with the story so long! I love seeing repeat reviewers. ^__^

1 - Shimatta (damn)

2 - Tako (octopus)

3 - Ia! Khalouni! (No! Leave me alone!) - Egyptian Arabic

4 - Chibi youkai neko (little demon cat) -- see also _chibi youkai_ (Hiei) --

5 - Japanese god of death (Gundam Wing fans should know this quite well ^_~)

6 - Mokuba's age isn't officially given (I've found every age from ten to fourteen) - so for the purposes of my story, he's sixteen, two years younger than Seto (don't you love fiction?)

7 - I was going to leave it as is, but I figured you'd want to know what they mean. In order: "Shut (the hell) up", "Kiss my ass", and "Shut up, son of a dog". I could have gone for worse, but this is PG-13 after all. On FFN anyway. *Whistles innocently*

**Here's a picture of Tidus, **The Final Fantasy X Bishie**:

http:// www. ffworld. com/ images/ff/ff10/overdrive_ tidus.jpg (take out the spaces - it won't let me post links for some reason) *Sigh* Isn't he precious? He'll be a major part in upcoming chapters. He's gonna get his own bijin as well…think you can guess who?**


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